Tara Said:

Type of food usually in a tea party?

We Answered:

Finger sandwiches...Fruit salad...petite fours...

Apple-Boursin Cheese Open Face Fingers

1 eating apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 12 thin slices
Juice of one lemon
4 slices of walnut-raisin bread
1/4 cup Boursin cheese

Dip each apple slice into the juice of the lemon. Soak for 1 minute. Remove apples and set aside.

Remove the crusts from the walnut-raisin bread. Cut each slice of bread into three strips. Spread the Boursin cheese on the top of the bread strips. Place the apple slices on the top of the cheese.

Makes 12 servings.

Chicken Curry Tea Sandwich

2 cooked whole chicken breasts, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Mayonnaise (enough to moisten)
Curry powder or paste to taste
16 slices best-quality white bread
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

In a large bowl, combine chicken, nuts, celery, salt, and mayonnaise; stir until well blended. Add curry powder or paste (Remember, a little goes a long way with curry - be careful).

Spread one side of each piece of bread lightly with butter. Top the buttered side of 8 slices of bread with some of the chicken mixture and top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side down.

Carefully cut the crusts from each sandwich with a sharp knife. Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and then cut in half again.

Yields 8 whole sandwiches or 16 halves or 32 fourths.

CHEESE CAKE PETITE FOURS

3 (8 oz.) pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese
5 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream cheese should be room temperature. Gradually mix each cheese package in mixer and add eggs one at a time, then add sugar and vanilla. Pour into 2 inch foil cups (almost to top) which have been placed in cupcake tins and bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not let edges get brown. When they are removed from oven, they will drop in center. This is OK. Leave oven turned on and make topping as follows: 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Put 1 teaspoon of topping on each foil cup and top with maraschino cherries (which have been drained on paper towels), jelly or nuts. Put back into oven for 5 minutes.

Makes 30

TEA TIME PETITE FOURS

For Cake:
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
3 egg whites

For Fruit Glaze:
12 oz. apricot or raspberry preserves (or heated jelly may be used instead)
3 tbsp. water

For Icing:
9 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Food coloring, (optional)

Garnish:
Tiny edible sugar flowers and/or leaves, for decorating tops of petit fours

Instructions:

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch (23cm) square baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gently fold into batter.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a plate or cooling rack; then chill cake in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove cake from refrigerator. Cut a thin slice off each side of chilled cake. Cut cake into 1-1/4-inch (3.175 cm) squares. Place squares 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) apart on a cooling rack over a 15 x 10 x 1-inch (38cmX25cmX2.5cm) pan. Apply fruit glaze (See Fruit Glaze Preparation Below)) evenly over tops and sides of cake squares, allowing excess to drip off. Let dry. Repeat if necessary to thoroughly coat squares. Let glaze dry completely.

For Preparing The Fruit Glaze:
In a medium size saucepan, heat preserves with the 3 tbsp. water on low heat. Drizzle or spread a thin layer of heated preserves over cooled tops and sides of petit fours before icing. (If using jelly, you do not need to add water to it, just heat jelly in saucepan on low heat and spread over cooled tops and sides of petit fours).

To Prepare Icing:
Combine all icing ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Heat over boiling water to lukewarm. Pour icing over tops and sides of petit fours. Once they are set, they should be coated with icing again. After icing hardens, decorate tops of each petit four with a tiny edible sugar flower and/or leaf.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen petit fours.

Marjorie Said:

Party food question - will all my food "flow" together?

We Answered:

Ok, first, my advice for any dinner party planning is always choose recipes that you have already made successfully. When given the choice between something that you have not actually executed and something that you have and you like, always go to what you know when other people are involved.
For the main dish- sounds great-chicken is easy and goes with many other flavors. I am not sure that I would consider deviled eggs a side, though- so maybe for your appetizers- deviled eggs, cream cheese and salami rolls AND a simple fruit salad. If you lay it out and let your guests help themselves then you have some good options and you don't have to make too much of any of the three.
With the chicken, totally go for the baked potatoes and the corn- simple- not too much for the plate.
Grilled pineapple would be a great dessert with a little vanilla ice cream. It can just be an option for anyone who wants it, but is a nice sweet touch.
Your beverages sound great too.
Whatever you do, have a great time and good luck:)

Nathan Said:

Food for a tea party?

We Answered:

For a full tea party menu with recipes, along with decorations and tips for hosting a tea party, definitely check out:

http://www.thesimplefeast.com/tea-party.…

Sample menu:
Food:
Scones
Cucumber Mint Tea Sandwiches
Curried Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
Smoked Turkey Sandwiches with Arugula
Assorted Cakes and Cookies

Beverages:
Assorted Teas and Ice Water
Blooming Champagne