Though we love hosting afternoon teas in all seasons, our fall tea is very close to our hearts. After the scorching summer is over, we long to gather in the kitchen and bake the spicy autumn treats. Suzi and I hosted an autumn tea party we share with you here. We had wonderful collaborators, making the tea party for eight much more manageable and truthfully, much more fun for the hostesses. Peggy and Kristin agreed to come early and handle most of the savory chores. We are always tickled to see Peg roll up with her cooler on wheels which we know is stuffed with delightful champagne. On this occasion, not only was there the good champagne but also a wonderful cranberry roasted garlic spread she whipped up for the turkey sliders. Kristin fearlessly walked in carrying a pumpkin to transform into creamy pumpkin soup! We are so lucky to have these talented and very fun women on our tea party team. We pulled a champagne cork, toasted our pre-party togetherness and got to work.
Suzi’s house was beautifully decorated for autumn, with many pumpkins, gourds, and seasonal foliage already on display. I used a vintage Quaker lace tablecloth with coppery satin cloth underneath to coordinate with Suzi’s floral drapes. Though I told myself I shouldn’t buy the British china salad plates with pheasants in the center and an attractive brown filigree border, I didn’t listen. They looked stunning with the vintage green gratin dishes in which we served the salad and the nut brown tall custard cups we used for the pumpkin soup. The bottom layer of the place setting were these unusual ivory melamine pierced plates, reminiscent of traditional Lenox ivory china. Fall color cloth napkins, our brown-patterned vintage cups and saucers and plain champagne glasses finished off the place settings. I picked up a traditional Brown Betty tea pot which looked right at home with the table setting. We borrowed a couple of the natural wooden slab serving trays to play up the woodsy feel of our table and called it done. The remainder of our guests arrived promptly, and a good time was had by all.
Suzi’s Dining Room with table set and ready for our fall tea party.
Roast Beef Rose Crostini with Horseradish Crème
Suzi’s fiery sugar cookies, as beautiful as they are delicious!
I used two cake batters to make dark and light acorn cakelets, shown here atop one of our borrowed wood slab platters. Apple cake, spice cake, and or chocolate batters would be delicious.
Suzi makes a decadent chocolate bark with three kinds of chocolate, dried fruits and nuts, bagged in cellophane bags and tied with coppery string and oak leaf tags.
Luckily, Suzi had the presence of mind to use the tea leftovers to assemble this recreation of our tea menu to take a photo. During the tea, we are always too busy serving our guests and enjoying the party to stop and take photos.
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