Name: How to Serve an Easy Spring Afternoon Tea Party
Brand: 31daily.com
SKU: 31daily-com-1
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

How to Serve an Easy Spring Afternoon Tea Party

preview

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our&nbsp;disclosure policy.
As Mother’s Day and wedding season approach, spring flowers bloom, and the grass becomes green. An easy spring afternoon tea party is never far from my mind. It’s a beautiful excuse to dust off the china teacups, make finger foods, and gather with close friends for an afternoon.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email, and we’ll send it to your inbox.&nbsp;Plus, you’ll get delicious new recipes from us every Friday!
        
        
If you haven’t hosted a tea, you may wonder how easy or difficult it might be. Who better to glean ideas from than the British? From the BBC, we’ve gathered some easy and simple ideas on how to serve an easy afternoon tea party.
At the foot of this post are some more inspirational tea party ideas you won’t want to miss.
RELATED:&nbsp;Easy Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches
Enjoying afternoon tea while perched on a gilded hotel armchair is a fine British tradition but hardly sustainable as a regular pursuit. Throwing an afternoon tea party means you can stick to your own budget, and select your favorite finger food. We have some suggestions for throwing a soiree in style.
If you own a tiered cake stand, dust it off and use it as the centerpiece of your table. Otherwise, use your best china or dinnerware and make it a little more special with lace-like doilies, folded napkins, and name cards.
If you want to go all out, charity and secondhand shops are good sources for reasonable Chinaware—and don’t worry if the patterns are mismatched. Remember your teapot, teacups, cutlery, and cake slices for serving.
Extend your table and throw on a tablecloth—if you don’t have one handy, fabric shops sell inexpensive spotted, floral, and striped material by the meter or yard. 
While at it, you could make some place-name cookies and ice them with your guests’ names. Pop them in paper bags so your guests have a little present to take away – or snaffle them as an entrée.
Make sure the sugar and milk are set on the table and ready to pour your guests a cuppa as they sit down. Try to provide a variety of teas – Earl Grey is always a favorite but herbal teas like peppermint and camomile are nice choices too. And, of course, any breakfast tea is always appreciated. 
There aren’t any rules when it comes to the food, but a standard afternoon tea comprises tea sandwiches, scones or tea cakes, and even full-size cakes for a showy table. You could also throw in pastries, petits fours, or biscuits.
Don’t wear yourself out by taking on too many ambitious bites.
These require minimal effort, but it’s helpful to prepare your fillings in advance and assemble them just before proceedings begin to avoid the dreaded soggy sarnie. For more than 60 recipes and pro tips, be sure to bookmark or save Easy Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches!
Here are some more recipe ideas:
Scones are best eaten on the day and don’t take long to whip up, but if you want to get ahead, freeze a batch and defrost them in a low oven. Serve warm with lashings of jam – decant a pot of homemade preserve into a pretty bowl.
Scones:&nbsp;
Jam:
These should be served split and buttered – try glazing with some apricot jam to give them a professional finish.
Keep it simple:
A little effort:
Shortbreads, cookies, ginger nuts… take inspiration from your childhood biscuit tin. These recipes all take less than an hour, so you can make them in the morning.
Just the mere mention of Parisian-standard pastry is enough to send shivers down the spine of your average home cook. If you’re willing to take them on, prepare the pastry or biscuits the night before.
Individual portions are the key here, so avoid making a large cake and bake up something dinky.
Pull out all the stops and serve up something really special.
If you love afternoon tea and are looking for ideas and recipes on hosting a tea party, here are some helpful foundation posts you may want to save:
Our Afternoon Tea page has all the latest tea posts, including recipes, tea party ideas, and seasonal tea inspiration.
	
		
			
		
				
				This easy Lemon Drizzle Cake is a beautiful recipe, perfect for days when you're craving a decadently tender dessert with abundant lemon flavoring. Or when you're looking for a traditional tea cake you know everyone will love.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				This Lavender Tea Bread is a moist and sweet tea loaf, perfect for afternoon tea or simply to celebrate when the lavender blooms. Delightfully rich with butter and lavender cream, this floral loaf cake is one of the best lavender recipes you could make!
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Treat yourself to the perfect balance of sweet and tangy with this easy-to-make honey lemon pound cake. A delightful dessert for any occasion.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Anytime Rhubarb Almond Cake is an easy-to-make, moist, and tender dessert recipe perfect for springtime and rhubarb season. Featuring a delicate almond flavor complimented by the tangy and slightly sweet taste of rhubarb. 
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Hummingbird Cake is a moist and dense cake filled with ripe bananas, pineapple, pecans, and deliciously savory spices. Tweaked slightly from the original, this cake is simplified and made even easier in a Bundt pan. And, of course, drizzled in a thick cream cheese glaze for the ultimate in flavor.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Celebrate the season with an easy Rhubarb Upside Down Cake. Baked and unmolded, this cake has a mosaic top of rhubarb baked into a brown sugar sauce over a vanilla, cinnamon cake. It's utterly delicious and simple to make.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				These Asparagus and Cheese Mini Tarts are an easy, favorite treat for afternoon tea, brunch, or any time asparagus is in season. A simple tart that’s minutes in the making.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				These beautiful classic English china patterns will any testable. For more ideas and patterns, visit Classic English China Patterns.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				These Earl Grey Scones are tender and moist tea-infused scones that are incredibly delicious with hints of bergamot and fresh orange flavors. Easy to make, they’re perfect with tea or coffee or brunch… or just because. 
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Salmon Salad Tea Sandwiches are a delightful combination of delicate flavors and satisfying textures. A beautiful finger sandwich that can elevate any tea party, brunch, or light dinner. Effortless to make and bursting with flavors of fresh dill and lemon!
				
			
		
			
		
				
				This muffin tin recipe for Homemade Mini Quiche is so incredibly easy to make, you’ll find yourself skipping the freezer section of your market! Made with a ready-made pie crust, an eggy middle and the option to customize your fillings, you must make this Mini Quiche recipe for your next summer party, picnic or afternoon tea!
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Shortbread Tea Cookies with Lemon Curd, topped with fresh blueberries, are tiny bites of perfection. Petit and perfectly sized for afternoon tea, they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				A beautiful bowl of Cream of Asparagus Soup is a delicious and special dish for any seasonal gathering or afternoon tea… or simply to celebrate spring. History of Asparagus A long and varied history, asparagus, beginning in the 16th century, was reserved for the royal courts of Europe. In the 17th century, it was “cultivated
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Strawberry Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches with Creamy Lemon Dressing are a deliciously fresh and slightly sweet take on traditional chicken salad finger sandwiches. They're easy to make, delicious, and bright with the brilliant colors of summer.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				This easy Lemon Curd recipe is a velvety soft, utterly delicious 4 ingredient lemony spread that is exceptionally easy to make at home, on the stovetop, in 10 minutes. A perfect blending of sweet and tangy goodness. It tastes like springtime in every bite.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				This French Lemon Curd Tart is inspired by Tarte au Citron, or French Lemon Tart. It's a creamy, slightly tangy lemon custard filling baked in a crisp, buttery shortbread crust. It's incredibly simple to make, and utterly delicious!
				
			
		
			
		
				
				These Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies are a rich and buttery cookie with a bright hint of lemon with nutty undertones of poppy seeds. If you’re a shortbread fan, you will absolutely love these simple cookies for snacking or teatime.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				It’s summer strawberry season. Celebrate with this easy Strawberry Bruschetta summer appetizer or healthy snack. Ready in under 10 minutes!
				
			
		
			
		
				
				A summer celebration isn’t complete without a delicious dessert. This no-bake Strawberry Trifle has layers of delicious pound cake, sweet strawberries, and irresistible pastry cream. And… it’s ready in minutes! 
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Indulge in a delightful treat with this easy-to-make scrumptious strawberry scone loaf. Made with fresh strawberries, it’s a golden, crunchy-topped treat with a moist, soft, and delicious interior. Perfect for strawberry season!
				
			
		
			
		
				
				This Victoria Sponge Cake is an afternoon teacake recipe, favored by Queen Elizabeth, with a long British royal heritage. An easy-to-make, simple two-layer cake that's lightly sweet, soft, and perfect!
				
			
		
			
		
				
				A Royal Currant Scones Recipe, from the archives of Queen Elizabeth, to serve with afternoon tea, or anytime you're craving an authentic British style scone.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				Experience the heavenly combination of lemon and lavender in these moist and flavorful scones. They’re perfect for spring brunch or teatime.
				
			
		
			
		
				
				These Mini Blueberry Tarts with Lemon Curd are an easy to make teatime treat or summer dessert. Inspired by a favorite French boulangerie offering that I’ve tweaked and simplified, it’s a simple recipe you’ll love using only three ingredients and made in 30 minutes.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our&nbsp;disclosure policy.
As Mother’s Day and wedding season approach, spring flowers bloom, and the grass becomes green. An easy spring afternoon tea party is never far from my mind. It’s a beautiful excuse to dust off the china teacups, make finger foods, and gather with close friends for an afternoon.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email, and we’ll send it to your inbox.&nbsp;Plus, you’ll get delicious new recipes from us every Friday!
        
        
If you haven’t hosted a tea, you may wonder how easy or difficult it might...

How to Serve an Easy Spring Afternoon Tea Party

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS