Mother's Day Tea Party from Family Fun Magazine
Pastel Petits FoursDainty and sophisticated, these cakes (adapted from "Pink Princess Tea Parties" by Barbara Beery) are a real showstopper -- especially for a special occasion like a
Mother's Day Tea Party. And since they're made from store-bought pound cake, they're surprisingly easy to prepare. You can decorate the tops with sprinkles, colored sugar, or candy flowers.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 (16-ounce) pound cake
(I used Dorie's Perfection Poundcake)9 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Liquid food coloring
Decorations, such as sprinkles, colored sugar, and candy flowers
1. Cut the entire cake into 1-inch-thick slices. Then use 1-inch-wide cookie cutters or a knife to cut round, square, and diamond shapes from each slice. Place the cake pieces on a wire rack set on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup water, and vanilla and almond extracts until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes. As the icing cools, it may start to stiffen; if so, stir in a spoonful of water to keep the icing smooth and flowing. Divide the icing equally between two or three small bowls. Stir food coloring, a drop at a time, into each bowl until the icing is the desired shade.
3. Working with one piece of cake at a time, spoon on the icing to cover it completely, then add sprinkles, colored sugar, or a candy flower before the icing sets. Let the cakes stand, uncovered, until the icing is dry, about 30 minutes. Store them in an airtight container for up to three days.
Makes about 30 cakes.
Tea Sandwiches
Any sandwich can be a tea sandwich, as long as it's sliced into neat, nearly-bite-size pieces. Here are some of our favorites -- adapted from "Pink Princess Tea Parties" by Barbara Beery -- to get you started. For extra fanciness on a special occasion like a
Mother's Day Tea Party, use a cookie cutter to punch out shapes from your sandwich bread.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
FOR SANDWICH NO. 1:
Wheat bread
Cream cheese
Walnuts
Honey
Pears
FOR SANDWICH NO. 2:
White bread
(I used the rest of our baguette)Herbed cream cheese
(I used vegetable cream cheese)Tomatoes
Black olives
FOR SANDWICH NO. 3:
Baguette
Nutella
Bananas
FOR SANDWICH NO. 4:
Mini pita breads
(I used plain pita chips)Hummus
(We had 2 kinds of hummus-roasted red pepper and plain)Cucumber and tomato
FOR SANDWICH NO. 5:
Wheat bread
Sliced turkey
Provolone
Basil pesto
1. Spread wheat bread with honey-walnut cream cheese (made by combining 1 package of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoons of honey). Top with sliced pears and a second slice of bread.
2. Cover white bread with herbed cream cheese, tomato slices, and minced black olives.
3. Top thin slices of baguette with Nutella and sliced bananas.
4. Fill mini pita breads with hummus and slices of cucumber and tomato.
5. Sandwich sliced turkey and provolone between two pieces of wheat bread spread with basil pesto.
Glazed Lemon Scones
Light and lemony, these biscuit-like cakes will make a refreshing addition to any Easter brunch menu. Plus, they're a fun and easy pastry for kids to help prepare, particularly when it comes time to pat and slice the dough and drizzle on the glaze.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Scones:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup heavy or whipping cream, plus a little for brushing
1 egg yolk, beaten slightly
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons heavy or whipping cream
1. Heat the oven to 400°. Grease a large, heavy baking sheet (preferably not a dark one) and set
it aside.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest and toss the mixture with your hands.
3. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the cream, the yolk, and the vanilla extract and use a fork to blend the liquids within the well. Then use a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients, just until the dough holds together.
5. Scrape the dough onto a flour-dusted surface and then, using floured hands, knead it gently three or four times to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk about 3/4-inch thick, then cut it as you would a pie into 8 wedges. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between them. Brush the tops lightly with cream.
6. Bake the scones in the center of the oven until golden brown, about 16 to 18 minutes. Allow them to cool on the sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.
7. While the scones continue to cool, make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk them until the mixture is smooth. If necessary, you can thin the glaze with water, stirring in no more than 1/2 teaspoon at a time. When the scones have cooled for another 10 minutes, drizzle each one generously with glaze.
Makes 8 scones.
Coming Monday- Vegetable Frittata and Flaky Biscuits
It's time for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club's Beachcomber Picnic! Val chose this month's theme and I would give anything to actually sit on the beach and eat this delicious menu today. It sure beats thinking about back to school shopping and the start of the school year that is right around the corner for us.
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