Happy Halloween Afternoon Tea - 2021

The last two Sunday afternoons in October are dedicated to our annual hauntingly delightful Halloween Teas. The scene is set with a backdrop of ghouls and goblins in the garden, and a few themed decorations in the tea room. The tables are set with spider webs and bats flying from the centerpieces. Pumpkin decorated cookies smile at our guests as they are seated. The first course includes a Creamy Cabbage, Apple and Entrails Slaw. Sure to delight with a crisp crunch of entrails.

The sandwich plate included Warm and Cheesy Pumpkin Tartlet, Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog Savory Phyllo Cup, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Olive Eyeball, Day of the Dead Chicken Salad and RIP Pimiento Cheese Pumpernickel Casket.

Oven fresh scones featured a triangular Pumpkin Pecan Scone, a Ghost of a Scone (the traditional English Cream Scone) served with Sweet Cream and Orange Marmalade. Sliced bananas, fresh strawberries and boo-berries with a Brown Sugar Cream rounded out the plate with a jelly pumpkin for a touch of whimsy

Dessert, served on a pumpkin napkin included our spicy Pumpkin Nut Roll and Matcha Ogre Eyes. 

Our guests are encouraged to stroll the haunted gardens, if they dare!

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Bats

We've been celebrating Halloween during teatime this month. A quick and easy teatime treat are these Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Bats. They feature Pumpkin Pie Spice (available at The Rosemary House) which adds a lovely spicy dimension to the cookies, which perfectly pairs with Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea or a plain black tea such as Queen Catherine (both available at the herb and spice gift shop). Quick and easy to make, you'll be sitting down to tea and brown bats in no time!

 

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

1/2 c. butter (no substitutions)

1/4 c. brown sugar

 1 c. plus 2 T. flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Gradually stir in flour. When blended, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth, about 3 minutes. I like to use a rolling pin that flattens the dough into a perfect 3/8-inch thickness before cutting out the cookies with various cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet, prick with a fork, and bake for 25 minutes, just until bottoms are beginning to brown. Yields about 20 (2- to 3-inch) cookies. 

This recipe was originally shared by Angela McRae on her Tea With Friends blog. She has graciously permitted us to share her recipe here. If you want to see her original post (Angela made fall leaves), follow this Tea With Friends link. Thank you, Angela!

The tea room has been decorated all month with a Halloween theme. These are a few of our 'going batty' decor. The gardens are haunted as well. If you're in the area, stop and stroll the gardens, if you dare!