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• Plan on three - 5 ounce cups of tea per person. Some people drink more, some less. I have found that the more sweet things you have, the more they drink.
• Scones. Scones are a tradition English tea thing! Here's a recipe for my favorite recipe thus far. Serve with cream cheese and fruit spread, or lemon curd.
• Fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate. Supermarkets will generally have meltable chocolate wafers in the display very near the strawberries. This chocolate is formulated especially for dipping fruit.
• Petit four. They are a pain very down-low to make, but they are so delicious! Essentially, they are tiny little cakes cut in the shape of diamonds, circles or hearts that are of very delicate texture and have a fine icing poured on them. Check your Betty Crocker, Fanny Farmer or Joy of Cooking cookbooks for recipes.
• Cookies. Cookies of any kind will do, but they need to be small for daintily dipping in your tea cup! A petite 1 inch cookie is big enough for tea. Butter cookies or sugar cookies are an especially good choice, although I still like the old chocolate chip stand-by.
• Small chocolates or miniature donuts and pastries.
• Brownies, Carrot cake, Bar cookies. Remember keep the portions small. 1.5 x 1.5 inch squares are plenty!
• Bite sized fresh fruit like cherries, blueberries or raspberries are an excellent choice if in season.
• Small sandwiches. Egg salad or regular old tuna fish put on bread that has the crust cut off of it, sliced diagonally is appropriate for tea. Sometimes simple fresh herbs or greens are added for color. You can use either white, wheat or some type of dark brown bread depending on your tastes.
• DDon't forget that in the hot days of summer, ice tea is acceptable too, as is lemonade or iced coffee. I've been to some tea parties that served coffee and hot chocolate, but I like to be more traditional. No coffee at my tea parties!
• Any pastry or traditional dessert can be adapted to tea. You just have to make sure that it's in a small portion and EASY to eat from a 6 inch plate! Avoid really gooey or drippy foods.
• A mother with small children shouldn't put off enjoying tea and company. Packaged cookies from the store are more than acceptable. Although fine tea morsels pamper guests, companionship and connection are the most important elements in a successful tea.