Guest post from Lorna Reeves, editor of TeaTime Magazine
As the end of October draws near and the holiday season approaches, it’s time to start planning a wonderful celebration or two. And what better way to make merry than with a tea party? The holiday season is a perfect time to host an afternoon-tea event, and the collection of beautiful table settings and delicious recipes in TeaTime Holidays provides plenty of inspiration.
In this special issue, you will find delectable menus to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve, all complete with our expert recommendations on which teas to pair with each course. In case you need to brush up on your preparation skills, we have included a handy tea-steeping guide. Our helpful recipe index indicates which dishes are gluten-free, making it easy to accommodate those at your gathering with sensitivities to gluten.
The many table settings in this issue showcase a wide array of styles—from traditional to modern, classic to casual, elegant to whimsical. Whatever your preferred aesthetic, you will find many wonderful ideas for your next holiday celebration.
Hosting a tea party during this joyous time of year is a great way to express your love and appreciation for the special people in your life. It is a gift both men and women will treasure, and I’m rather sure you will, too.
A special recipe for Gingerbread Snowball Cookies from TeaTime
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for dusting, divided
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup finely ground hazelnuts
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, combine butter and ½ cup confectioners’ sugar. Beat at high speed with a mixer until light and creamy, approximately 5 minutes. Slowly add flour, hazelnuts, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Mix until well combined. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour, or until dough is firm.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake until cookies are light brown on the bottom, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
- Dust lightly with remaining confectioners’ sugar.
Comments 6
I enjoy having tea parties as well. I had to cancel my Halloween Tea and Luncheon as I broke my ankle and am in an air cast. I am hoping that the air cast will be off by December as I plan to have my first ever December Tea Party.
I am in the planning stages right now and so look forward to getting together with all my friends.
Just the other day we celebrated our friend’s birthday at a tea house… Very charming setting! We enjoyed our lunch but most of all our raspberry tea with delicious scones! For some reason we seem to linger over our tea and dessert more so than when we go to a regular restaurant!
I love Tea Parties and plan to have a Christmas Tea Party this year. I have been chairman of Afternoon Tea at our church and women’s club. When my daughter was pregnant for her third son, we had a Victorian Baby Shower Tea. When we go to England to visit my husband’s relatives we always have afternoon tea. I love all the ideas, and recipes that I get from “Victoria” magazine, Thank you.
We just got back from a wonderful fall get-away in Cape May N.J. Every afternoon we enjoyed afternoon tea,either in the elegant dining room or outside on the wrap around porch of the beautiful Mainstay Inn. What a splendid way to ease into evening. When I arrived back home, there was a mailed invitation waiting for me to attend an afternoon tea at my friend’s house hosted by her 11 year old daughter. I am very much looking forward to it and all the tea parties to come, whatever the occasion may be.
Being European, we have a long standing tradition of tea every afternoon at 3:30 or so. At our house, we serve tea to all guests, children and adults alike. At no time is tea time more elegant and beautiful than during the holidays, our Christmas tea is a tradition on Christmas Day. Thank you, Lorna, for all the inspiration you always give me.
I love my Christmas Tea party. It is so much fun planning it. I have the actual china featured on your magazine cover. Love it. I also love to put on a Valentine Tea. I did one for my ladies Sunday school class a few years ago. So many ladies signed up we had to rent a room somewhere! It was great fun. I did a devotional, gave tea facts and some history of tea. The tables were decorated with all my teapots, antique cups, etc. and many books from Victoria and Teatime!!!!