Breakfast Tea on a Tray: Chunky Applesauce

Fresh applesauce is so easy to make that I don’t know why I ever buy the stuff in the jar. Early apple varieties are in season now, including my favorite Gravensteins. For a special treat leave the peels on red apples and your applesauce will turn pink. You’ll have to run this through a food mill though to remove the peel.

1 quart apple cider or juice
3 pounds apples, a couple varieties, cored, peeled and chunked
¼ to ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, optional
Maple sugar or light brown sugar, optional

In a large heavy pot, cook the cider down over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the apples and the spices, if desired, Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook gently until the apples have cooked down and are very soft, about 45 minutes. Taste and if you wish, add a little sugar, perhaps a tablespoon or two. Depending on the varieties of apples you use, some may remain somewhat chunky after the rest have virtually dissolved. Serve warm or chilled. The applesauce will keep in the fridge, covered, for at least a week and can be frozen for even longer.

A Bridal Shower Tea Party: Watermelon Basket

A Watermelon Basket always looks so pretty on a dessert table. Fill with balls of watermelon and cantalope or use a mixed fruit salad. Carve a very simple basket or add extra details. The basket below is the easiest to make because it uses all straight lines. A jagged edge like the one above is a bit fancier but still easy to do.

To make the three baskets below, use a template and mark the design on the melon before carving. The tools used for Halloween pumpkin carving are a huge help cutting out the details.

A melon butterfly and pineapple flowers and stars are especially pretty but take up space. Be prepared to refill these baskets.

If you look really closely, you can see that the carving isn't perfect. No one will notice a few lopsided cuts though.

The last watermelon was the work of a professional obviously. It is so beautiful that no one would ever want to cut into it.

It isn't difficult to make a Watermelon Fruit Basket but it does take time, especially if a carved edge is used. Using a melon baller for the inside can take quite a while too. Your hands probably aren't used to the repetitive motions required in carving and making the balls; I highly recommend having a friend help. Make the basket the day before the party and keep in the fridge. Fill with the fruit at the last minute.

(All photos used under a Creative Commons License.)

Tea and Poetry Tea Party: Watermelon Fruit Salad

Ode to the Watermelon
Pablo Neruda from Neruda's Garden, an Anthology of Odes
...
Thirsty, we anticipate
you:
a mine or mountain
of ambrosia,
but between teeth and desire,
you change into
simple, fresh light
melting into a spring,
touching us with song.
...

Plain fruit salad is delicious but for a tea party, it is nice to add something extra. This Watermelon Fruit Salad Dressing does just that.

For the salad:
fruit of your choice, cut into bite-size pieces
watermelon, cut into chunks

For the dressing:
1 cup cubed seeded watermelon
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Stir before using.

Easter Brunch Tea: Honey Lime Fruit Salad

I used pineapple, oranges, apples, maraschino cherries, bananas and canned peaches in my fruit salad but use what you like when you make it. Two cautions though: don’t use blueberries or blackberries because they will turn everything in the fruit salad blue and add the bananas at the last minute because they will get brown and mushy even with all the citrus juice in the salad. Adjust the sugar depending on the tartness of the fruit you use or leave it out altogether.

4 limes
1 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons honey
Fruit of your choice, in bite-size pieces

Finely shred 2 teaspoon lime peel; set aside. Juice limes. In a medium bowl combine lime peel, lime juice, sugar and honey, stir to dissolve sugar. Pour over fruit.

Winter White and Spring Green Tea Party: White Chocolate Strawberries

This simple recipe makes a pretty Valentine treat too!

1 bag (12 ounces) white baking chips
1 tablespoon shortening
18 large strawberries with leaves

Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Heat white baking chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted.

For each berry, hold by the stem and dip into the melted chocolate, leaving the top and leaves uncovered. Place on the waxed paper. Refrigerate about 30 minutes to set the chocolate.

Winter White and Spring Green Tea Party: Chambord Grapes Under Snow

I’m a poky poster today but it’s my husband’s fault! He offered to go to the store to pick up the grapes for this recipe. Instead of going to the store which is a couple blocks away, he went to Wal-Mart. Three hours later, he’s finally back home. In addition to my grapes, he bought a music CD, the ugliest slippers you ever saw and a huge bag of pretzels. That man cannot be trusted alone in Wal-Mart! Anyway here is the recipe, simple and delicious:

¾ pound seedless grapes (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons Chambord liqueur
1/3 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/3 cup light sour cream, chilled
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Chopped or grated chocolate

Cut grapes in half, if you like, and divide among 4 dessert dishes. Stir ½ tablespoon Chambord into each. In a small mixing bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add sour cream and yogurt and mix until soft peaks form. Spread over grapes. Just before serving, sprinkle with the chocolate.

If you prefer not to use the Chambord, fresh orange juice would be a nice compliment to the grapes. You can use low-fat sour cream and yogurt and frozen no-fat whipped topping in a tub if you prefer. But don't try to whip anything other than heavy cream.

Fresh Start Tea: Grilled Pineapple

No real recipe here. Grill fresh pineapple slices, either outdoors on a grill or on your indoor grill pan. Top with a small scoop of ice cream or sherbet, any flavor or fat/carb content. And sprinkle on some berries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, red raspberries. This is a very simple, light dessert with a huge taste.

A Tea with the Animals: Fruit Kabobs with Dip

Size your skewers to the age of the children enjoying this tea. The smaller the child, the smaller the skewer should be. For very small children, forget the skewer completely and serve the fruit pieces in a pretty bowl. Use whatever fruit you enjoy, grapes, pineapple pieces, maraschino cherries, strawberries—most kids like these.

Creamy Caramel Dip

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
Assorted fresh fruit

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, milk and pudding mix, beating well after each addition. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Thread fruit chunks onto skewers and serve with this dip.

Rose Michelle at A Cup of Tea with Friends has given me this You Make Me Smile award. Thank you so much! If you haven’t visited her blog, please do. She’s a military wife who works helping military families. If you’ve been thinking of the war in Iraq in an abstract, political way, she will bring it down to a human level for you. She’s warm and funny and she loves tea too.