With special thanks to our very thoughtful tea room customers, our family enjoyed an Afternoon Tea at
A Tea Affair in Lititz, PA last October. Upon arrival, we were seated at our table to discover a plate of scones and jelly waiting to be enjoyed. Our waitress took our tea orders, and we passed the scones.
We were offered a choice of their Broccoli Quiche, or the Soup of the Day (a warming butternut squash soup). Both were served alongside a house salad.
There are several options to select from the menu, including a Luncheon Tea, a Garden Tea, a High Tea, or the Children's Tea. We opted for the High Tea as we like to sample as many tea treats as possible. The tiered tray was presented after we finished the soup and quiche. The tier had a variety of four tea sandwiches, their signature crème brulee, and four pastries.
The sandwiches included a fresh and delicious assortment that included cucumber on rye & pumpernickel bread, egg salad, strawberry cream rounds, and a petite tomato caprese round. The Crème Brulee, well, that was simply divine.
And the pastries included a French madeleine, a small layered chocolate raspberry cake, coconut macaroon, and the most beautiful decorated tea cup sugar cookie. It was simply too pretty to eat. It was the crowning touch to a lovely tiered tray. The Afternoon Tea experience was quite enjoyable. Many thanks to Barb, Ann, Barbara, and Raegene. Your thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated.
The Introduction to Tea Leaf Reading program recently held in the tea room also included Afternoon Tea. In keeping with the tea leaf theme, several menu items were prepared using tea leaves, by infusion, or with ground leaves.
The specialty menu began with a leafy green salad with fresh raspberries, English cucumbers, topped with Feta cheese and dressed with Raspberry Zinger vinaigrette, a recipe from Celestial Seasonings book Cooking with Tea. The vinaigrette is created by steeping the raspberry zinger teabags for 20 minutes in vinegar before adding oil and sugar to create the vinaigrette. The tea imparts a subtle raspberry flavor and pretty pinkish tint to the dressing.
The sandwich selection featured a warm Blue Cheese and Asparagus rollup, a Cucumber sandwich with herbed cream cheese, Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Rounds, Chicken Salad Triangle and a Carrot Cake Tea Sandwich on raisin bread.
There was an English Cream Scone, and a Candied Ginger and Green Tea Bread filled with mascarpone cheese. A medley of green fruits rounded out the plate. For the Candied Ginger and Green Tea Bread I used Harney & Sons Citron Green Tea, finely ground. The recipe is from Eat Tea by John Harney and Joanna Pruess. Follow this link (to Hudson Valley magazine) for the recipe for the tea bread.
The dessert medley included a white cake topped with lemon curd, heavy cream, and a sprinkling of coconut. The other miniature cupcake was a delicately spiced Chai cupcake, and the teapot shortbread was flavored with matcha, powdered green tea. From eating the leaf to tea leaf reading, it was a day filled to the brim with tea.
