Honey Still for Tea, Shippensburg, PA

Honey Still for Tea is a monthly pop-up offering an authentic English Afternoon Tea experience held at a local bakery, Jane's Art of Pie Café in Shippensburg. Tea dates are announced on their Facebook page, typically two months in advance. As it is a small location, the dates fill quickly. We were greeted by the owner and offered a complimentary glass of Prosecco Rose or a sparkling non-alcoholic beverage.

Cheers to teatime!

Although the tea selections were limited, there was a range of choices including a plain black tea, the ever-popular Earl Grey, an orange cinnamon herbal, and a decaffeinated black. 

Once tea was served, the tiered tray was presented. It's a family affair as the owner's daughter and her grandson were the waitstaff for the day we were there.

Just the girls at tea.

The assortment of Sandwiches and Savouries included Egg Mayonnaise with watercress on wholewheat, Sausage Roll (crisp flaky pastry filled with seasoned sausage), Coronation Chicken on Whole Wheat, Herb and Garlic Goat's Cheese with Beetroot on White Bread.

The middle tier held English Fruit Scones served with Wild Blueberry Preserves. Printed on the menu.... English tea without scones? Unthinkable! Spread cream first, then add jam... or jam then cream! It's an age-old argument between the English counties of Devon and Cornwall!) 

And the top tier, the Sweet Selection, featured Lemon Eton Mess, described as billowy lemon cream with crispy meringue, a new English summer favourite, a Fruit Tart, light pastry base, filled with Creme Patissier and Fresh Fruit, and chocolate Shortbread, in house made, now famous, shortbread, drizzled with dark chocolate.

The name of the tearoom is derived from a famous 1912 poem by Rupert Brooke, renowned poet and soldier, titled "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester". In the poem, Brooke expressed his feeling of homesickness while in Berlin in 1912. He expounded on the essence of his beloved Grantchester in Cambridgeshire, from the landscape to the culture and everything in between. The very last few lines of the poem read "Stands the Church clock at ten to three? And Is There Honey Still for Tea?” 

 

Lovely Lavender Afternoon Tea

Our Lovely Lavender Afternoon Tea celebrating all things lavender in a delicious array of sweets and savories has quickly become a popular annual event. The menu and the tea list adorned with lavender graphic in shades of purple and violet quietly announced what was to come throughout the tea. Sprigs of long stemmed fresh lavender were tucked in the fragrant herbal centerpieces.

The fresh salad featured mixed salad greens topped with summer berries; strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, dressed with Blueberry Lavender Balsamic Dressing and dusted with Feta cheese. A refreshing Lavender Mint Spritzer accompanied the first course. 

The tea plate held a variety of sandwiches. Savory baked Lavender Artichoke Squares were served warm. A triangular Cucumber Sandwich with herbed cream cheese offered a fresh taste from the garden. The petite Lavender Blueberry Muffin was topped with a cream cheese rosebud. Sliced Turkey with lavender honey butter was the other triangular sandwich. An Apple Brie Crostini with a Lavender Honey Drizzle completed the plate. There was a crystallized long stem sprig of lavender as garnish. The candied sprig provided a bold punch of lavender flavor! 

A Lavender Sage Golden Raisin Scone was served with Sweet Cream and Raspberry Curd. The Fresh Fruit was served with a lavender honey dip. To make the lavender honey dip, simply blend 5 Tbsp. of lavender honey (available at the Rosemary House) with 2 c. of sour cream. Mix well and serve with strawberries, grapes, and other fruits suitable for dipping.

A trio of lavender desserts included a Petite Cheesecake topped with Lavender Lemon Curd and a pinch of dried lavender blossoms, a Lavender Mint Shortbread Cookie, and a White Cake with Chocolate Lavender Frosting. It was a yummy conclusion to the 2025 Lovely Lavender Afternoon Tea.

Strawberries & Almond Cream

A recent dessert offered during our Strawberry Afternoon Tea included fresh berries piped with almond cream. This yummy cream filling is delicious and decorative piped into the berry, or simply served over top of sliced berries. Enjoy the bounty of fresh summer berries with this special almond cream topping.

Strawberries and Almond Cream

1 - 3-1/2 oz. box instant vanilla pudding and pie filling

1 c. milk

1 c. heavy cream, whipped

1 tsp. almond extract

2 pints large strawberries, washed, hulled, halved OR, 

wash, remove the hull by slicing the berries so they sit flat, make a cross cut into the pointy end of the berries, but don't cut all the way thru. Gently pry the berries open and pipe the filling into the berry.

Prepare instant pudding as package directs but decrease milk to 1 c. only. Gently fold whipped cream and almond extract into prepared pudding. Served with prepared strawberries

 

Celebrating the Strawberry Moon

The Strawberry Full Moon in June prompted a strawberry themed afternoon tea. A menu laden with fresh sweet berries was on tap for the day. Starting with a pretty garland of red berries surrounding the tea list for the day, and lush berries printed on the menu. We offered a variety of flavored strawberry teas that included Chocolate Strawberry, our popular Blue Lady which has strawberry, kiwi, and coconut flavors, along with Eight Treasures which features pineapple and strawberry in a green tea base.

The first course was a yummy chilled Strawberry Soup garnished with thinly sliced strawberries, a dab of whipped cream, and a fresh mint leaf. Special thanks to friend Gail for the perfectly coordinated strawberry tea cozy. She has been gifting me with a tea cozy of the month, and June didn't disappoint. 

The sandwiches included a Strawberry Chicken Salad on Hawaiian Bread, a "Full Moon" Parmesan cheese toast, a Glazed Strawberry and Honey Bruschetta,  the petite tart shell held Strawberry Creamed Honey and Mascarpone, and our popular Sweet 'n Savory Strawberry Cheese on Pumpernickel.

A yummy Strawberry Drop Scone was served alongside the Traditional English Cream Scone with Sweet Cream and Strawberry Butter and a touch of fresh fruit.

The dessert trio included a Strawberry Jam cake topped with strawberry jam frosting, a Cardamom Sugar Cookie, and a ripe red berry filled with Almond Cream.

The 2025 Strawberry Moon was full around June 11th. According to several  Native American tribes that live in the northeastern Unite States, it marks the ripening of  'June bearing' strawberries that are ready to be harvested. 

Afternoon Tea at the Kate Pearl Tea Room, Sykesville, MD

A short journey south took us to the Kate Pearl Tea Room in Sykesville, MD where we met with a longtime family friend to enjoy afternoon tea. There seemed to be a buzz of activity in Sykesville on this Saturday afternoon, but we were quite content to spend our time in this quaint tea room.

This sweet place setting with ornate golden utensils and a rose folded napkin greeted us when we sat down. There was a list of four floral teas on the table, and the hostess brought two of the teas to our table.

Once settled, a colorful charcuterie board was offered. It held assorted fresh fruit; oranges, watermelon, blueberries and pineapple, along with sliced cheeses, crackers and pretzels. It was a sweet and savory way to begin our afternoon tea.

Our hostess brought each of us a plated white chocolate chip scone. A little dish of cream and jelly was offered to pass among each of us.

A petite colorful fresh salad, perfectly dressed was presented promptly followed by a small bowl of chilled fruit soup.

 A refreshing spritzer in a champagne glass was next up. The menu was from The Royal Tea and included all these different courses. It was always a fun surprise to see what was served next.

Tea time with family and friends is always the best time.

The tiered tray was laden with a wide assortment of sandwich and petite sweet treats.

The sandwich assortment included a miniature panini with ham and melted cheese, fresh fruit garnish, a pear-honey-and-goat cheese crostini, a flower sandwich topped cucumber and strawberry, and a roll with turkey and raspberry jam. 

The dessert medley included a raspberry lemon mousse, a lavender macaron, and double chocolate biscotti. The tea ended with a refreshing lemon sorbet topped with an edible pearl.

Please note: there are two Kate Pearl Tea Rooms, this one in Sykesville, and the original one in Westminster, MD. Our tea association held one of our meetings at The Kate Pearl Tea Room in 2019. We shared our experience in this blog post .

Farmhouse Cranberry Scone

Farmhouse Cranberry Scone

3 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. butter (1-1/2 sticks), cut into small pieces

3/4 c. chopped dried cranberries (Craisins)

1 tsp. orange peel

1 c. milk

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Cut in butter with a pastry fork/blender until the butter forms small pea size pieces. Stir in craisins and orange peel. Make a well in the center of the mixture; add milk all at once. Stir until dough pulls away from the bowl. Form dough into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead gently once or twice and divide dough into three equal portions. Form each dough portion into a ball, and roll out into a circle about 5" - 6" across. Cut the circle into 6 triangles. Separate and place each triangle onto a paper lined tray with 2" between each triangle. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for about 13 - 15 minutes. Yield: 18 scones. Serve warm with cream and jelly, and a proper pot of tea. Enjoy!

International Scone Day - May 30th

The garden was abuzz with activity Friday, May 30th as The Rosemary House and Sweet Remembrances celebrated International Scone Day with style. Guests pre-registered to attend a Cream Tea on the hour throughout the day. With many rainy days before, the gardens were lush and green. With guests seated in the garden, under the pavilion, or in the gazebo, we hustled tea and scones all about.

Mostly local tea and scone enthusiasts, we did welcome a group of women that traveled from Frederick, MD to enjoy this relaxing experience.

Just as the event ended, the raindrops began to fall. In the meantime, many enjoyed a Traditional English Cream Scone and a Farmhouse Cranberry Scone with Sweet Cream, Lemon Curd, Raspberry Preserves and fresh fruit along with a pot of tea.

Happy International Scone Day!

International Tea Day - Tea and Honey Pairing

We celebrated International Tea Day with a Tea and Honey Pairing under the pavilion. It was a rather drizzly day, but in between rain drops we poured tea and sampled a wide variety of infused honeys and several creamed honeys from the local family run apiary Honey in the Hollow in Newport, PA. In the front room of The Rosemary House, we sampled a Blueberry Creamed Honey and Strawberry Creamed Honey on vanilla wafers. The creamed honey is thicker and spreadable and is the perfect option to serve with scones, toast, or pound cake. 

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Under the pavilion, we were serving an assortment of hot teas with a variety of infused honey to mix and match with the teas. We recommended Earl Grey with a lemon infused honey. Many of the attendees also tried the Earl Grey with the lavender infused honey and enjoyed that combination.

We offered Prince of Wales, a black tea with black currant flavoring, as another option to sample with the lemon infused honey. We suggested the Lavender infused honey as an option to taste with a Hyson Green Tea. Participants were encouraged to sample the honey first on a small spoon, let the honey coat their tongue and taste buds, and then sip the tea to enjoy the combination of the flavors. It was a study in how the tea and honey complemented, contrasted, or enhanced each other.

The Lemon Herbal tea, a Rosemary House specialty blend, was suggested to pair with the blueberry creamed honey. While the other Rosemary House blend, our Rosemary's Chai was paired with cinnamon infused honey. Guests were invited to sample the range of teas and mix and match with the various infused honey. Although the day was damp, it was the perfect afternoon to enjoy a warm sample of tea coupled with the unique infused honey from Honey in the Hollow. We have these specialty honeys available in the shop including lemon infused, lavender infused, cinnamon infused, and thyme infused in addition to the creamed varieties. Looking for recipes for the infused honey, check out Honey in the Hollow recipe page.