I was able to throw a wonderful bridal tea, for a cute friend of mine and it was so fun to pull out all of the tea cups and vintage dishes I've collected over the years. I had wonderful ellanewmanphotography take these pretty pictures because she is just the very best! I thought I'd post these pretty pictures on the blog and give you all a few tips and tricks for throwing a tea party as well as some of my favorite recipes.

For the menu I wanted to do something special. I wanted it to feel like a real tea straight from London, and so besides the fact that it was 90 degrees and we didn't have actual tea. I tried to get the food spot on!

Cream scones with butter and jam and lemon curd
Curry chicken salad sandwiches
Cucumber tea sandwiches
Roast beef horseradish sandwiches with watercress
Mini caprese kabobs
Chocolate "petite fours"
Mini mille fuille with raspberries and lemon

A few of my favorite recipes from the day were definitely the scones, the baby mille fuilles and the curry chicken sandwich!!

For the Scones: This is a great recipe I got from a cute friend who is from England, these are the scones she grew up making with her dad. I've doubled the recipe because it makes a very small amount.

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 oz cold butter cut into cubes
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
pinch of salt

In a stand mixer combine the flour, baking powder and salt add the butter and mix until it is like coarse sand, with pieces of butter still visible. In a separate bowl mix the eggs and milk together before adding them to the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, it should be a fairly wet dough. Try to handle as little as possible, turn it out onto a floured surface and pat out to about 1/2 inch thick you can cut them into triangles with a knife or use a round cutter like I did. Place them on a baking sheet and brush with milk. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until they have risen and are just turning golden.

For the chicken curry sandwich I used Ina Gartens recipe it is so delicious you can find it here. I then simply put the chicken salad onto a good white bread and cut into little soldiers. I got about four tea sandwiches out of one normal sandwich.

The Mille Feuille was super easy but looks very impressive and is so fun to serve to your friends. Here is what you will need:

store bought puff pastry
store bought lemon curd
raspberries
softly sweetened whipped cream
powdered sugar

To start thaw your pastry in the fridge overnight. Roll out one of the 2 pieces and cut into even squares, I tried to get about 12 so 3 across and 4 down but its alright if they aren't perfect. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Then put another piece of parchment on top and another sheet pan to keep them nice and flat. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes but watch them because they can go brown quickly without you even seeing. Do the same with the next piece of dough so that in total you will have 24 pieces for 12 mille feuille. Once the pastry is cool you can assemble. Spread lemon curd on the bottom 12 pieces along with a small amount of whipped cream and then top with 2 raspberries. Spread whipped cream on remaining 12 top pieces and then place them on top of the raspberry pieces. Place onto your tray and dust with powdered sugar.

When I was planning the table I wanted to start with a neutral base and then just build off of that. I used liberty of london paper products which are always so darling and appropriate for a garden tea. Then I used vintage plates and goblets I have collected with my mom over the years from second hand shops. That was about it, I used mismatched tea plates and saucers to hold jam and butter and the table was ready for a party.

This was such a fun party to host and a great excuse to use all my vintage wares. Happy Wedding Lillian!!

There is no better time in the year than spring. The earth comes alive after a long winter and the beauty of everything just seems amplified. I spent another lovely day with Ella Newman and her wonderful photography skills and once agin it was so much fun. I made some delicious new recipes and as usual she took some amazing pictures. I always am excited for any change of season because it means new produce, and different vegetables and fruits to work with. Spring has some of the best: asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb the list goes on and on. It gets me excited just thinking about it. So to celebrate the coming of spring I made roasted chicken thighs with a fresh basil and scallion sauce, the bright green color alone is enough to get excited about! I also made some orange rolls because whats better than a springy orange roll for Sunday dinner in the backyard. Ella brought some beautiful lilacs and they just made the whole table, nothing makes me think of spring like those wonderful smelling blossoms!!

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Basil Scallion Sauce

6 chicken thighs (with the bone in and skin on)

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

4 scallions sliced thinly

1 clove garlic minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup olive oil

To start preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your chicken thighs on a sheet tray and drizzle each with just a bit of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a bit of chopped basil and put in the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes depending on how big the thighs are. You'll know they're done when the juices run clear and the skin starts to get a bit of color on it. Meanwhile while they cook prepare the sauce. Chop up your basil and scallions and throw them in a bowl with the minced clove of garlic and a good amount of salt. Add the olive oil and stir, let it sit while the chicken is baking so the flavors had time to combine and marinate.

Finally, remove your chicken from the oven, let it rest for about 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute. Place it on a serving platter with extra basil and serve with the sauce spooned over top.

Spring Orange Rolls

dough recipe adapted slightly from http://www.epicurious.com

1 envelop active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg yolk slightly beaten

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup flour

non-stick spray

Filling

1 stick butter

zest of 2 oranges

1/2 cup sugar

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

To start place the yeast and 3 tablespoons warm water in a bowl with 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes or until foamy. In an electric mixer beat the egg yolk, orange juice, melted butter, salt and remaining tablespoon of sugar. Add your 1 3/4 cup flour and yeast and mix until dough just comes together. Turn your dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 5 minutes). Dough will be fairly sticky. spray a bowl with non-stick spray and place your dough in the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. While waiting mix your filling together cream the softened butter with the sugar and orange zest and set aside.

Once the dough is doubled in size spray a 9x13 pan or a muffin tin with non-stick spray. Turn your dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a 12x14" rectangle. Spread the filling across the dough leaving a small boarder around the edge. Roll the dough over itself starting with the edge of one of the 14" sides, until you have a long rolled log. Slice the roll into 12 pieces, the dough will be very soft so if you have trouble you can place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to make it easier to cut. place the rolls in their pan or muffin tin and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Lastly, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Let them cool for about 10 minutes and make your glaze. Combine your powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth and creamy, then drizzle over the top of the rolls. Serve warm.

There you have it, a delicious spring meal you can whip up any time. Just add a green salad and dinner's ready! Happy spring!