A large tea party later in the Thanksgiving weekend can be a great way to entertain friends home for the holidays and a lovely antidote to black Friday shopping. We’ve created an easily assembled menu, taking advantage of both turkey day leftovers and recipes that make a large amount, can be made ahead, or purchased. Make double use of fall decorations still fresh from Thanksgiving.
Beverages:
Savories:
Sweets:
On the Pedestal:
Ham and Scallion Strata
A strata is a layered casserole including bread and a selection of other possible savory ingredients. A strata is truly the hostess’ friend: it can be made ahead, it tastes wonderful warm or at room temperature, it works perfectly for breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea time, and dinner. And it can be varied to fit many flavor profiles. Here is one of our favorites:
Turkey Sandwiches on Baguette with Cranberry Cream Cheese
These tasty sandwiches are easy to make with Thanksgiving leftovers, yet they are elegant and colorful. Soften an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and mix it in a small bowl with about ¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce, whole or jellied. Add more if you want a more intense red color and more cranberry flavor. Thinly slice a baguette and spread a generous amount of the cream cheese and cranberry spread on all of the slices. Add slices of leftover turkey to half of the bread slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with another slice of bread, cream cheese side down. You can add sprigs of watercress on top of the turkey for color and a charming fresh taste if you wish.
Arugula and Pear Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
This fresh and hearty salad will help keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive with an abundance of autumn’s bounty. Pears are at their best at this time of year, and walnuts and cranberries add complex flavor and nutrition. Crumbled Gorgonzola and a bright lemon and poppy seed dressing take this salad far beyond the ordinary.
Best Friend Lemon Bars
Everyone loves lemon bars with their crunchy shortbread crust and tangy-sweet lemon curd topping. And home made Lemon Bars are by far the best. Share this recipe with your best friend, and he or she will be happy to arrive at the Post-Thanksgiving Tea with these very welcome morsels, fresh out of the oven.
Toffee Brownies
These wonderful chewy, chocolaty bars are packed with toasted almonds, chocolate chips and toffee bits, perfect for a brisk autumn afternoon. This recipe makes a large batch and is easy to bake the morning of your Thanksgiving Tea. You can also bake these a day or two early, refrigerate them, and cut them into neat little squares just before serving time.
Variation: Blondies
Blondies are Brownies without chocolate. Their golden “blonde” color comes from the brown sugar and butter that form the foundation of the batter. You can turn these Toffee Brownies into Blondies by simply omitting the chocolate, chocolate chips and toffee bits. Do not melt the butter; beat both sticks of butter with the brown sugar. We recommend keeping the almonds (or pecans) in the recipe and perhaps adding a 12-ounce bag of butterscotch chips, which will keep your Blondies blonde.
Rum Bundt Cake
This all-natural pound cake makes a gorgeous presentation if you bake it in a Bundt pan and serve it on a cake pedestal. You can make it look even more festive by surrounding it with leftover cranberry sauce or candied cranberries. You can make this cake in advance, wrap it tightly and freeze it or whip it up the morning of your Post-Thanksgiving Tea. If you freeze this cake, thaw it the morning of the party and add the warm rum glaze just before serving.
Even Easier Rum Bundt Cake
If you are already exhausted from cooking Thanksgiving dinner and cleaning up, you can make the preparation for your Post-Thanksgiving Tea even simpler by using a boxed cake mix to create a surprisingly splendid rum (or sherry) pound cake which you can bake in a Bundt pan. You will have this cake in the oven in just a few minutes.
Gingerbread Trifle with Leftover Pie
We hope you made the Gosby House Gingerbread, along with several pies, for Thanksgiving. You can find the recipe for this very spicy, dense and sticky gingerbread that the Pilgrims and their Native American friends would have loved in our California Afternoon Tea Menu. This recipe makes a 9” x 13” cake and several extra gingerbread cupcakes. You can use any leftovers as the basis for this very imaginative Gingerbread Trifle. If you have never made a Trifle, you are in for an adventure. Please read our recipe for Christmas Trifle in the Christmas Tea menu that follows this section. You will discover that a Trifle is a spontaneously arranged layering of leftover cake, custard, fruit, nuts, jam and broken cookies limited only by the creator’s culinary vision.
For this Post-Thanksgiving Trifle, we suggest that you incorporate leftover gingerbread with chunks of leftover pie to create anew the spirit of the Thanksgiving Feast. Here are some of our ideas for items that could be included in your Thanksgiving Trifle. Feel free to let your own creativity, and what is left in your refrigerator, guide you.
Vanilla Custard
Custard is a luscious cooked pudding made primarily of milk or cream, egg yolks and sugar. It is not difficult to make at home, and homemade custard is infinitely better than the pudding that is made from the little boxes that you can buy at the store. Custard is also very versatile; it is a key ingredient in Trifle, but it can also be combined with coconut, bananas or chocolate, poured into a baked pie crust and topped with Whipped Cream for a cream pie, or included in any number of fruit or gelatin parfaits.
Custard is wonderful flavored with vanilla, but we have also included the procedure for making Chocolate Custard, and that is only the beginning. Custard can be flavored with brandy, caramel, coffee, nutmeg, or any other taste that appeals to you.
Whipped Cream
Whipped Cream is a favorite dessert topping that you can make at home in just a few minutes. It is just heavy cream, chilled, and beaten vigorously until it becomes fluffy and doubles in volume. Our recipe includes a little powdered sugar and vanilla, and we have also included a Chocolate Whipped Cream variation. Like custard, whipped cream can also be flavored with a variety of other flavorings or liqueurs.
Be sure to chill the cream, the bowl and the beaters you will use to make the whipped cream. Beat the cream with a hand held electric mixer (or even an old fashioned rotary beater) just until peaks form when you lift the beaters. Soft peaks are perfect for desserts that will be eaten within a few minutes. Stiff peaks are better for toppings that need to hold their shape a little longer, such as pies or trifles that will be refrigerated for a while.
Thanksgiving
The honey sun oozes over this November morning
After a night too chill for an old dog.
He sleeps now in the sweet light
Under golden wisteria leaves.
None have fallen, though the tiny breeze
Toys with them.
Little finches twitter at the feeder,
And out in the manzanita, the quail
Whet their autumn appetites.
Jays feast on acorns
That nestle in toasty oak leaves,
Heaped in generous helpings
At the table we all share.
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THE TEA BOOK
The Road Back to Civilization
A Brief History of Tea
Philosophy of Tea
Harmony
Humility
Respect
Creativity
Guidelines for the Host/Hostess
Gathering and Greeting
Sharing Stories
Sharing Food
Sending the Guests Home
Respect your Hostess/Host
Bring a Gift if You Wish
Practice Humility
Monitor Your Conversation
Arrive With a Grateful Attitude
Help if Help is Needed
Do Not Criticize
Leave Gracefully
Send a Thank you Note
A Checklist for Planning a Tea Party
Teas of the World and How to Make Tea
A Sampling of Teas
Herbal Teas and Tisanes
How to Make Tea
Making Iced Tea
Tea Concentrate
Brewing Tea for a Crowd
Tea Kettle
Tea Pot
Tea Cozy
Teacups
Plates
Silverware
Teacart
Tea Strainer
Tea Infuser
Three-Tiered Server
Cream Pitcher and Sugar Bowl
Cake Pedestal
Trifle Bowl
Jam Pots
Serving Dishes, Platters, and Trays
Silver Tea Set or Silver Tray
Linens
Kitchen Equipment for Food Preparation
Sandwiches and Savories
Savory Spreads and Dips
Scones and Tea Breads
Afternoon Tea and the Four Seasons
A Spring Tea
An Outdoor Summer Tea
A Winter Afternoon Tea
An Autumn Afternoon Tea
January:A Japanese New Year’s Tea
February:Valentine’s Day Tea
March:A St. Patrick’s Day Irish Tea
April:An Easter Tea
May:Mother’s day Tea
June:A Wedding Reception Tea
July:A Picnic Tea
AUGUST:A FAMILY REUNION TEA
A North American Family Reunion Tea
An Eastern Mediterranean Family Reunion Tea
A Kosher Family Reunion Tea
A Scandinavian Family Reunion Tea
September:An Ozark Farm Harvest Tea
October:A Tea to Honor Our Ancestors(Dia de los Muertos)
November:A Post Thanksgiving Tea
December: A Christmas Tea
In Defense of Fruitcake:Fruitcakes and Candied Fruit
A Chinese Dim Sum Tea
A Portuguese Tea
A Classic British Afternoon Tea
An Indian Chai Party
A California Tea
A Hawaiian Tea
An Italian Tea
An American Southern Tea
A Russian Tea
A French Afternoon Tea
A Kosher Teawith Traditional Jewish Foods
Afternoon Tea for Special Occasions
An Afternoon Tea for Children
A Tea for Our Elders
A Honey Bee Tea in the Garden
An Urban Tea on the Go
Tea for One
Afternoon Tea For a Large Group
A Vegan Tea
A Rose Tea