High tea to impress !

[pupuce]

My Belgian cousin wants to have friends over for "tea", the English way (a bit like the Ritz IYKWIM)... she means scones, sandwiches and cakes.... I know how all of that goes but I want to double check with my expert panel !

What time should she serve it ?
What's the official recipe for cucumber sandwitches ? Are they cut in triangle ?
Any other filling recommended for a posh tea ? I suggested smoked salmon....

Any suggestion ???

THANKS

Cucumber sandwiches should be white bread, spread with butter, sliced cucumber (preferably peeled), crusts off and fingers or triangles. I would do those, egg mayonaise and cress, smoked salmon (on brown) and maybe thin sliced roast beef. Fruit cake, scones, jam and cream and other fancy sponge cakes. Served with lots of Earl Grey tea! Hmmm I might treat my family tomorrow, or even invite MIL over!

We used to go to tea dances at The Waldorf and thier tea was as follows (if I remember rightly):
sandwiches - egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon, and cucumber (there might have been cream cheese too);
toasted buttered crumpets;
plain scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream;
a selection of cream and fruit cakes.

Each course was served separately with a choice of teas, with either milk or lemon slices.

SueW

I was always told that the best place for afternoon tea was Raffles in Singapore.

Teas like those decribed here (minus the marmalade ) are my idea of heaven and in our house we have them quite regularly on Sunday afternoons... I particularly like this style of tea as a picnic (with bone china tea cups and napkins) but its not very child-friendly. I have been known to take such teas in a basket to my Grandmother who is 89 and she loves it. I think the irst tea I had like this was when I was a little girl and it was produced by her! I am off now to get a decent cup of tea and at least a piece of cake!!!

What are those two or three tier plate affairs called? Had anyone mentioned them already? sandwiches on one tier, cakes on another. That's posh!

I think they're called a lazy susan. Have no idea why though!

A lazy Susan is a round turntable like you get on big tables in Chinese restaurants - lazy because you just need to rotate the turntable to get to food on the other side of the table, and I'd like to have words with the person who decided on Susan!

I have no idea what the multi-tiered cake plates are called, but they're a darn fine idea

Inspired by this thread (although it's taken me this long to get around to it so I can't have been that inspired I spose) after school today we had tiny white bread cucumber sandwiches and smoked salmon sandwiches (crusts cut off), hot buttered crumpets, iced fancies, saffron scones, strawberry jam and a pot of tea. We also had proper cups and saucers, matching plates etc. It was a windy miserable day and cheered ds and dp up no end. I recommend it! Sorry for sounding like Enid Blyton but it was sooo nice

www, did you have lashings of ginger beer? Sounds yummy!
The old lady with the squeaky trolley reminded me of the Victoria Wood sketch, "Is it on the trolley?"
(wish I could write in a northern accent!)