Recipes

Afternoon tea has a long history, and continues to be a well-loved tradition. In the past, it was used to fill the gap between meals. Overtime, it has become more of an occasional event to enjoy with friends and family. A traditional afternoon tea usually has a few small portions of sandwiches, scones, small pastries, and tea. 

April is actually National Afternoon Tea Month, and celebrates the history of this special meal. This post will share some classic afternoon tea recipes that are simple, and kid-friendly. Celebrate National Afternoon Tea Month with your kids, and host a lovely afternoon tea with your family! 

SCONES 

Scones are quite misunderstood. People believe that they are dry, but they’re actually soft and buttery. They taste delightful as is, but there are many ways to switch scones up. Below is a recipe for a plain scone with options for other flavors. 

Plain Scone Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 8 scones 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (cold)
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extra 

Directions:

1. Start by preheating your oven at 400F, and use parchment paper to line a baking sheet. 
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cube the cold butter and put it into the dry ingredients. Use a fork to cut the butter into the dry mix until the dough is a bit shaggy. 
3. Using a different bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together until fully combined. Then pour it into the dry ingredients. When you mix the dry and wet ingredients you will likely have a crumbly dough. 
4. Lightly flour a hard surface and place the scone dough onto the floured surface. Try to form the dough into a dough, and then flatten it into a circle shape. It should be about 7 inches thick. 
5. Chill the scones in the freezer for a few minutes. Then bake the scones at 400F for 20 minutes, or until fully cooked. 
6. Take them out of the oven and let them cool. 

How to Switch Up the Recipe

Scones are quite easy to manipulate, so you can make them into any flavor you want. Below are a few options you can try.

Blueberry scones: Follow the same recipe, but combine 1 cup of blueberries.
Cinnamon: Add ½ tsp of cinnamon powder to the dry ingredients. 
Chocolate: Mix in ⅔ cup of mini chocolate chips. 
Cranberry: Combine the ingredients with ⅔ cup of dried cranberries.

Lemon Poppy Seed: Simply add in ½ tablespoon of poppy seeds and the zest of a (cleaned) lemon into the dry ingredients. 

SANDWICHES 

Afternoon tea wouldn’t be complete without some small finger sandwiches! These aren’t only delicious, but are easy to make with kids of any age. Below are a few recipes of some class, 3-ingredient afternoon tea sandwiches. 

Cucumber Sandwich Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4 mini sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 4 slices of bread of choice
• 4 tbsp cream cheese (can use more or less)
• Dill (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the cucumber, then peel it. Cut the cucumber into slices and pat them dry with a paper towel. 
2. Add as much cream cheese as you would like on top of the bread. Place the slices of cucumber onto the cream cheese. 
3. Cut the sandwiches into fun shapes, or simply cut them in half. 

Tomato Sandwich Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 mini sandwiches
Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes
• 4 slices of fresh mozzarella 
• 6 slices bread of choice

Directions:

1. Grab a biscuit or cookie cutter that is about the size of the tomato.
2. Slice the tomatoes in ¼ inch thick slices. Dry the slices with a paper towel.
3. Use the biscuit cutter to cut the mozzarella into a circle-shape. The slices should also be about ¼ inch thick. 
4. Use the biscuit cutter to cut the bread as well. 
5. Assemble the sandwiches in layers. The order should go: bread, cheese, bread, mozzarella, and bread again. If you don’t want 3 layers of bread, you can make it in the traditional sandwich style. 

Egg Salad Sandwich

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 mini sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 4 slices of bread of choice
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (can use more or less)
• Salt & Pepper to taste 
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard (optional)

Directions:

1. Cover the eggs in a saucepan with water. Bring the water to a boil, then take it off the heat and leave them for about 6-10 minutes. You can also boil eggs in the air fryer at 250F for 14 minutes. 
2. Once the eggs are done boiling, place them into cold water for a few minutes. Peel the eggs. 
3. Chop up the eggs into small cubes, and add them to a bowl. Mix the eggs with the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. 
4. Spread the egg mixture onto 2 slices of bread, and cut them in half. 

Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4 mini sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftover chicken works)
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise 
• ¼ cup of diced pickles

Directions:

1. Shred the cooked chicken and place it in a bowl. 
2. Add in the diced pickles and combine thoroughly.
3. Mix in the amount of mayonnaise you would like. You don’t have to use the entire ¼ cup, but you can also add more if you like. 
4. Spread it on top of the bread and cut the sandwich in half.

DESSERTS

After all those delicious bites, the only way to round it all out is with a sweet treat. These are a few simple dessert recipes that are perfect for any afternoon tea session. 

Petit Fours Recipe

 

Prep Time: 1 hour
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Yield: 32 cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 c lemon curd or filling of choice
• 1 c raspberry jam or filling of choice
• ⅔ c unsalted butter softened 
• 4 oz cream cheese softened 
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 
• 4 eggs 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c all-purpose flour 
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ c whole milk 
• 1 c icing (store-bought or homemade) 

 

Directions:

1. Start by making the cake. Preheat the oven 350F and grease a baking pan. 
2. Stir the softened cream cheese, butter, and sugar with a whisk or electric mixer. Once it’s combined, add in the eggs one at a time. When the wet mix is smooth, fold in the vanilla extract. 
3. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl. Add the flour into the wet mix in batches, so flour doesn’t fly around. Slowly mix in the milk, and combine thoroughly. 
4. Pour half the batter into each of the baking sheets, and bake for 15 minutes. Check the doneness by placing a toothpick in the middle and seeing if it comes out clean. 
5. Let the cakes cool, then cut them into equal thirds. On 2 of the cakes, spread lemon curd filling on top. On 2 other slices, add the raspberry jam filling on top. The last 2 cake pieces should be left plain. 
6. Stack the 3 cake slices on top of each other, but make sure the plain cake is on top. Wrap the two cake piles in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for at least an hour. 
7. Take them out of the freezer, and add the icing of your choice. It should be a thin covering, and not too thick. 

Tea Cakes Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 30 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven at 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until they are fluffy. 
3. Add the eggs in one by one, combining thoroughly after each egg. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. You want to be left with a soft dough. 
5. Scoop about a tablespoon's worth of the dough onto the lined baking sheet. Make sure to have space between each cookie as they will expand.
6. Bake at 375F for about 8 minutes, or until the edges are a nice golden color. 
7. Take the cookies out of the oven, and leave to cool completely. 

Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 16 cookies

Ingredients:

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

 

Directions: 

1. Mix the room temperature butter and vanilla extract until it’s soft and fluffy looking.
2. Add the powdered sugar into the butter mix bit by bit, and combine thoroughly. 
3. Stir in the flour, and scrape the sides down while mixing the ingredients together. 
4. Form the dough into a rectangular shape as best you can. Wrap the shaped dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for an hour or more. 
5. Preheat your oven at 350F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
6. Cut the dough into ½ inch thick slices, and place them on the lined baking sheet. Have 1-2 inches of space between each cookie.
7. If you want to add a pattern to your cookies, then do so at this step. One easy way is to use a fork and gently prick holes on top of the cookies. 
8. Let the cookies bake for 5 minutes, rotate the baking sheet in the oven, and bake for another 5 minutes. 
9. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool completely.