Easter Tea
A sweet way to celebrate without the stress of conventional entertaining.
Easter tea on the roof — A charming Beatrix Potter inspired afternoon
It was a classic March day with truly loopy weather. One moment, bathed in warm spring sunshine and the next, plunged back into winter, the sun tucking into clouds that hinted at the possibility of a drizzle. Ahhh, the thrilling days of early spring.
Despite the weather giving us the runaround, this rooftop Easter tea was a springtime dream. The theme of my festive afternoon tea leaned into the charming and whimsical world of Beatrix Potter. I wanted to be transported to a mini vegetable patch with a little tableaus of garden life — my favorite display being a pedestal of wheat grass and thumbnail carrots topped by a Fortnum & Mason chocolate bunny, far too precious to consume. The theme continued across the tablescape with a nest like arrangement of chocolate eggs, mischievous white chocolate mice and tiny bunnies along with sugar snap peas and a casual floral arrangement featuring sweet peas from none-other than Silver Lake’s Gilly’s Flowers. And thus, for a moment, my dingy Los Angeles rooftop was transfigured into a land of sweet nostalgia where Peter Rabbit and his little friends could join us for afternoon tea.
Apart from an inspired vegetable patch and the sweet chocolaty guests of honor, a classic afternoon tea would not be complete without classic finger sandwiches (obviously color coded for the occasion) and homemade English scones served with clotted cream, my mom’s homemade plum jam (from her plum trees) and a bowl of bright lemon curd. With an assortment of sweet treats and savory bites to pair with our English Breakfast tea and champagne rosé, the perfect Easter celebration was laid out for us to enjoy, and what a wondrous time we had. So put on your finest floral dress, lug a bunch of stuff up to the roof and enjoy an afternoon tea with a fabulous friend.
What better way to celebrate Easter than with an enchanting escape to the charming land of Beatrix Potter. Sweet, rejuvenating and absolute charming perfection. Xx
Haute Hosting tip
I find that an afternoon tea can be the perfect way to feast. With festive events such as holidays and celebrations, we can become overwhelmed with large dinners and luncheons, and a thoughtful tea is the perfect way to host without the pressures of formal dining and large menus resulting in far too much kitchen time. If you’re not up for making your own finger sandwiches and scones, there are plenty of bakery and deli options that can fulfill your afternoon tea dreams! For hosting, it is more about the environment and the thoughtful touches than the time spent in the kitchen. Treat your loved ones to the cutest easter tea this year and break away from the traditional brunch and dinner scene — Perfect for all ages and settings. I promise you (and your guests) will fall head over heels for this easy and delightful haute hosting tip.
English Breakfast tea
Assortment of finger sandwiches
Sugar snap peas
English scones with clotted creme, homemade plum jam and lemon curd
Chocolate bunnies, mice and eggs
Champagne rosé
Antique silver tea set with charming 1920’s tea cups
Sandwiche Flavors
Egg with crème fraîche and dijon (my take on a classic egg mayo)
Cucumber with herby cream cheese
Salmon lox with roasted beetroot and horseradish cream cheese (with a squeeze of lemon and a bit of fresh dill)
English Scones
60 g sugar
1/8 tsp kosher salt
4 tablespoons baking powder
55 g unsalted butter
100 ml buttermilk
50 g crème fraîche
1 egg
buttermilk or cream for brushing the tops (turbinado sugar is great to add too)
Preheat over to 425ºF and line a cooking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add cold butter in 1/2 inch cubes and toss in flour to coat. Using your finger tips, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles that of course sand. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, butter milk and crème fraîche. Pour into flour/butter mixture and work together with the spatula until very roughly combined. Dust a work surface with a bit of flour, and gently work dough together until it just barely holds. Flatten out to about one inch thick and use a floured 1 and 1/2 inch pastry cutter to cut out scones. Press remaining dough together and cut out scones until all dough is used up.
Set scones on the parchment lines baking sheet, spacing them out about 2 inches apart. Brush tops with buttermilk or cream and place in freezer for 20 minutes. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tops are a nice golden brown.
Serve with butter, jam, lemon curd or clotted cream. So light and fluffy and delicious!
