Monday, March 23, 2015

A Fundraising Tea

We recently attended a Chocolate Lover's fundraising tea held at the Miesse Candies chocolate factory in Lancaster, PA. Owner Tracy Artus is in the running to be elected Woman of the Year 2015 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This 10-week fundraising effort included this special tea coordinated with La Petite Patisserie.  

We gathered in the candy shop until the other guests arrived. Easter candy was in abundance, and temptation was great. As we were ushered into the factory, although the machinery was still, the delicious fragrance of chocolate was heavy in the air.
Pretty fresh flowers graced the tables, and an array of chocolates and caramels tempted us. Established in 1875, this business has been keeping Lancaster supplied in quality chocolates, candies and caramels for 140 years. Tracy and her husband are the most recent owners, having purchased the business four years ago. They are keeping the candy tradition alive!

There were three seatings on this chilly Saturday in March. Rental tables and chairs gaily covered in yellow tablecloths and draped with pretty blue runners covered the tables. We were eager to enjoy our Chocolate Lover's Tea! Tracy spoke briefly about the history of Miesse Candies and also about her quest to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.


We were offered a variety of teas served in individual little pots that included Chocolate Raspberry, Vanilla, Chocolate Chai, and Earl Grey.  Promptly after the tea arrived, we were offered a Cream Scone. The toppings for the scone featured a very thick, rich chocolate ganache and seedless raspberry jam.

The sandwiches were served on a variety of serving trays. Our clam shell server was laden with a variety of sandwiches that included a Classic Cucumber Tea Sandwich, Egg Salad Cups with Shallots & Parsley, Pate a Choux with Creamy Pepper Jelly, Sweet Potato Puffs, and Turkey, Spinach & Bacon Pinwheels.
Dessert featured chocolate... and in addition to the beautiful plate of chocolates already on the table, we were offered either a milk, white, or dark chocolate covered strawberry, a delicious chocolate mousse in a dark chocolate cup, and Almond Frangipani Tarts.


Willy Wonka Cedar and the Chocolate Factory!

4 comments:

relevanttealeaf said...

What a fun way to spend a Saturday, and who wouldn't love a chocolate lover's tea to raise money for such a worthy cause. Thank you for taking us along vicariously! Have you had a chocolate lover's tea at Sweet Remembrances?

Linda Jennings said...

Looks like a perfect family Saturday afternoon. Oh how Austin would have loved to be there with Cedar and Angelica!

Angela McRae said...

Oh, that photo of Cedar makes me smile! (Well, actually, all the photos of the tea and chocolates make me smile, too, but he gets extra points for that mischievous expression!)

Marilyn Miller said...

Oh you found part of the tea time that Cedar liked, hooray! This looks just beautifully delicious.