Our tea culture in this area has grown to include several cafés, tearooms and hotels dedicated to serving the perfect cup of tea. The following recipes for classic tea specialties are just a taste of the delicious variety of tea accoutrements that are being served at these outstanding establishments.

The English Tea Room
& Gift Shop

Celebrations are the specialty of Hammond's English Tea Room & Gift Shop. It provides the perfect setting for memorable events, from showers and bridal teas to children's Mad Hatter tea parties. A second location is scheduled to open in downtown Covington this summer. Delicious choices to complement your tea include savory and sweet scones, crumpets and an assortment of tea sandwiches.

Cucumber and
Cream Cheese Sandwiches

1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into at least 24 thin slices
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Pinch black pepper
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)
24 slices fresh white bread
Fresh dill, cut with kitchen shears

Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut white bread into heart shapes, cutting two hearts from each slice of bread. Set aside bread pieces and cover with a damp linen towel.

Sprinkle cucumber slices with black pepper, then cover with apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate cucumbers, allowing slices to soak for several minutes.

Soften cream cheese to room temperature, or warm in microwave on low power. Spread insides of each bread shape with cream cheese. Place a thoroughly drained slice of cucumber next to cream cheese. Place both sides together, carefully matching shapes.

Place sandwiches on paper towels in a tray, lightly cover with a dampened linen towel, and refrigerate. Just before serving, top each sandwich with a snip of fresh dill. Yield: approximately 24 sandwiches.

Windsor Court Hotel

Tea at the Windsor in New Orleans has become a tradition for bridal teas and showers, or just for a step back into the elegance of another age. Freshly brewed tea is poured as your server brings assorted tea sandwiches, caviar and salmon canapés, and an array of truffles, pecan tarts, cookies and teacakes. Savoring these scones, as prepared by Chef Keegan Gerhard, you have just a taste of the total feast that includes lemon curd, thick clotted cream and jam, and perhaps a finishing touch of sherry or Port. As stated in the menu, "So English - and oh so civilized."

Traditional
Le Salon Tea Scone

3/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 to 4 oz. currants, optional
8 oz. or 2 sticks butter, chilled
and cut in small cubes
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream,
half-and-half or milk

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine dry ingredients, including currants, either by hand or with paddle attachment of pastry mixer. Cut in pea-sized pieces of chilled butter into flour mixture, or freeze butter and then grate into flour mixture until fully incorporated. Add buttermilk and blend gently, just barely bringing dough together.

Turn dough onto a table, kneading gently to form a ball. Roll out dough into a rectangle, make a tri-fold with dough, then roll dough down to a thickness of 1 3/4 inches. Cut into triangles. Cover with linen towel and allow scones to rest for 20 minutes to one hour.

Combine lightly beaten egg with heavy cream, half-and-half or milk. Brush tops of scones with egg mixture. Place scones on baking tray in pre-heated oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake for approximately 25 minutes. To ensure even baking, rotate pan in oven mid-way in baking. Yield: approximately one dozen.

Vianne's Tea Salon
and Café

Many of the recipes designed exclusively for Vianne's by Chef Valerie Stafford are prepared with fine sauces infused with teas. The menu for the Old Mandeville tearoom offers a full range of café selections, and includes three choices of tea service.

High Tea begins with an individual pot of tea served with scones and fresh fruit accompanied by lemon curd, clotted cream, jam and honey. Assorted tea sandwiches are followed by dessert. The Royal Tea adds a savory soup and enticing salad. The Queen's Tea includes a sixth course, a special entrée served before dessert.

Vianne's Lemon Curd

Zest of 2 lemons
7 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 lb. butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs

In the top of a double boiler, combine the melted butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice. Heat ingredients to blend, whisking until sugar is fully dissolved. (Handle carefully, as mixture will be very hot.)

In a separate bowl, mix eggs to a slight froth, and then, very slowly, add hot liquid to the eggs, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened.

Allow lemon curd to cool, then refrigerate until needed. Serve chilled. Lemon curd may be kept refrigerated for two weeks.

Copyright 2004, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved.