TEA TIME BITCH

I recently took a day trip down to the City of Brotherly Love... It was an interview on behalf of luxury fashion site, Hello La Mode.   I had an hour to kill before my bus back to NYC would depart so I decided to treat myself to a posh tea service at the Rittenhouse Hotel.

I always loved this area in Philadelphia.  The Cassatt tea room is beautiful, and the servers here are very friendly.  They managed to be formal, but not stuffy (something New York servers can't quite achieve).  Their standard tea service (about $25) included lovely sandwiches of pate, egg salad, smoked salmon, melon and chicken salad that were very fresh.  Their current scone was accompanied by lemon curd, clotted cream and strawberry preserves.

Desserts included a blueberry tartlet, profiterole, layered cake and this rather obscene-looking strawberry mousse confection:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) with the rack in the center of the oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a thin bladed knife, slice the logs into 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick slices. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Store at room temperature for about five days or baked cookies can be frozen for a couple of weeks.

Makes about five dozen cookies. 

(The dough logs can also be frozen for about one month. If freezing, it is best to let the logs stand at room temperature about 15-20 minutes before slicing.)

Why does a ladies afternoon always include pastel treats of some kind?  That's not a complaint...Just wondering.  Bosie Tea Parlor in the West Village is an under-the-radar tea spot that looks like an assuming little cafe.  Ladies who lunch don't get dressed up to come here, (but ladies wearing jeans, but arriving with their own driver do).

Don't be fooled.  Bosie Tea Parlor has one of the better full tea services in the city.  Their standard tea service is $51 for two and includes your choice of tea sandwiches, your choice of exotic or seasonal macarons, a selection of tea cakes, scones with clotted cream and jam.  The sandwiches range from the expected cucumber or egg salad, to cheddar and chutney, or chicken with curry mayonnaise and raisins.  If you want an upgrade, there is a special champagne tea and the mother of all tea services, the Chef's tea.

The Chef's tea includes 24 canapes for two guests. This includes things like quail eggs with black truffle, duck breast and pastries from the big display case in addition to all the other goodies.  Don't worry, there are many a la carte menu options if you're not good with commitment.

I like the cozy, tucked away location of this tea parlor.  I feel I could sneak in here during the day and gorge myself on sandwiches and cakes without anyone seeing me to judge me.

A dear schoolmate of mine threw an Asian-themed brunch to celebrate the birthday of a friend.  I promised to bring some sweets.

I made a basic shortbread cookie dough and flavored them differently.  One, with orange zest and finely chopped candied ginger.  The other with powdered green tea Matcha powder.

Basic Shortbread Cookie (adapted from Ina Garten):
Ingredients
·         3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature (I like Plugra)
·         1 cup sugar
·         1 vanilla bean, (split and scraped)
·         3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
·         1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional:
·         3 ounces Dark chocolate, finely chopped
·         Orange zest
·         1-2 packets Matcha (powdered green tea)
·         candied ginger

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the insides of the vanilla bean. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
Separate the portion you want for the orange ginger cookies.  Add finely grated zest and chopped candied ginger.  Next, dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

For the green tea portion, add about 1-2 packets of matcha and knead into the remaining dough until evenly distributed.  Wrap in plastic and chill.
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put about 2 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.   Using a toothpick, dip in chocolate and draw the insides of the flower on top of the cookie as desired.

I was first introduced to Harney & Sons tea during a bridal shower.  Their "Tea for Marriage" came in a pretty silver tin, the bags were organza shapes filled with a vanilla scented floral tea.  I visited their shop and cafe in Millerton NY last year with Hubby and my Mother in Law.  It was a jewel in country, but too far away from NYC for regular visits.

I was ecstatic when they opened an outpost in Soho.  The front is a cozy tea shop with chic accessories and their wide selection of teas.  The back houses a tiny tea salon.

Hubby and I had a lovely break on a cold Sunday afternoon.  Our service consisted of gravlax on green tea cream cheese on rice crackers, macrons, warm scones and a trio of mini tea infused ice cream cones.  Their chef really knows how to incorporate the tea flavors to complement the other elements.  Cute guys are all behind the counter too.

433 Broome St  Ground Floor, New York, NY 10013 (212) 933-4853

Babies! Almost every single one of my girlfriends and sister had one or is having one this year.  I am proud to say none of them are a traditional "Mom".  They are smart, savvy women that I can learn from when the day comes for me...

This tea party was a baby shower for my friend "Ritzy".  She definitely doesn't go for the powder blue pastel crap and neither do I.  Her roots are Indian, so her mother and aunt cooked up an amazing feast of South Asian goodness.  I was in charge of sweets.  I decided to bake a chai tea/chocolate cupcake with spiced buttercream with a recipe adapted from the amazing Cupcake Blog. Hubby contributed Paul Newman's alphabet cookies as decorations.

Pair these with, of course, a good chai latte with lots of cardamom.

Recipe after the jump:

I was absolutely craving the cake my sister once ordered at Alice's Tea Cup a few months ago.  It was a banana cake with Nutella in between the layers and cream cheese frosting on top...

I wanted a (slightly) healthier version of that.  I substituted some of the flour for almond meal, chopped up some dark chocolate, swirled Nutella on top...  No nuts, I wanted gooey without crunch to get in the way

I paired this with the "Wedding Tea" from Harney & Sons.  It has a subtle vanilla and rose flavor to it.  I also love their tins and organza tea bags!

Enjoy with Earl Grey tea (Twinings is nice) and berry preserves.