It's time to switch up your normal party routine with a holiday high tea. Sure, you could book a reservation at your local tea parlor or hotel, but that can get pricey fast. (Tickets often go for upwards of $50 a head.) Instead, host an afternoon of tea, scones, and catching up with your best girlfriends in the comfort of your home. Keep reading for a rundown of all the traditional fixings from drinks to dessert.
— Additional reporting by Nicole Perry
Traditional Teas
For a traditional British take, serve Darjeeling black tea — an Indian tea with a floral, astringent flavor — or Earl Grey, whose zesty citrus flavor comes courtesy of bergamot. Alternatively (or additionally), brew a pot of your favorite blend, whether green, white, rooibos, or herbal.
Honey
Drizzle honey on scones, or stir it into your tea. If you want to get extrafancy, serve honeycomb and runny honey — the honeycomb is such a treat when spread on scones.
Sparkling Wine
For those feeling extrafestive, pop open a bottle or two of bubbles [1]. (It is a party, after all.)
Cucumber Cream Cheese Finger Sandwiches
Mix up the classic cucumber cream cheese sandwich [2] by adding mint instead of the usual dill. Don't forget to cut the cucumber slices paper-thin — that is key!
Salmon Finger Sandwiches
Perk up smoked salmon tea sandwiches [3] with a squirt of lemon and a thin coating of savory mayonnaise (which also helps hold it all together).
Watercress Sandwiches
Slightly bitter watercress is tempered by a generous coating of butter for a traditional English sandwich [4] your guests will devour with relish.
Scones
Classic British scones [5] are crumbly, creamy, and sweet — oh, and did we mention full of buttery flavor? Served with a bit of clotted cream (or butter), fresh jam, or lemon curd, the plate of scones will disappear in no time.
Lemon Curd
Silky smooth and full of zesty flavor, lemon curd [6] is a traditional pairing with scones and crumpets. And while homemade is in a league of its own and actually very easy to make, store-bought options like that sold at Trader Joe's will work in a pinch.
Cranberry Jam
For a holiday-appropriate spin, try cranberry jam [7].
Clotted Cream
Rather than attempt to make clotted cream at home, snap up a jar of the store-bought stuff [8] ($14). A cross between whipped cream and butter, clotted cream is a traditional accompaniment to scones and jam.
Earl Grey Kumquat Marmalade
Orange marmalade is commonly served with scones, but try this updated and less bitter twist: Earl Grey kumquat marmalade [9], made by infusing the cute little citrus fruits with citrus-forward Earl Grey tea.
Victorian Sponge Cake
In America, we call them cupcakes, but in England, "small cakes" are served during tea. This Victorian sponge cake [10] is made with a simple ratio: equal weights of sugar, flour, egg, and butter. The dainty sponge cakes are then topped with whipped cream and a fresh berry for a picture-perfect treat.
Petit Fours
If you have the time (and the inclination), petit fours [11] are a classic end to high tea.