Afternoon Tea My Way

Spring is at our footsteps so why not prepare a colorful and eclectic afternoon tea?

As you know there's hundreds of tea sandwich recipes out there, the important thing is to prepare the ones you enjoy eating when having tea. Therefore, here two sandwiches prepared my way. We all have a style to prepare food and also to set the table, my way is a bit casual, a bit formal and universal. For this occasion I decided to use Moroccan glasses instead of cups and I think it works when combined to a green tea pot and green sandwich stand. My tea selection was The London Cuppa Loose Tea (Kenya & Assam).

The first recipe is the all time famous Chilean tomato sandwich, fresh and delicate perfect to accompany tea.

The second sandwich is the world renown salmon pumpernickel sandwich, colorful and delicious to eat while drinking tea.

Tomato tea sandwich for three: 

1 big tomato cut in slices 

2  large brown bread slices

Mayonnaise Spread:

1 T. Mayonnaise

1 t. Plain yogurt

1/4 t. mustard (Maille)

1/2 t. Dried dill  or 1 t. Fresh dill 

2 mint leaves + 3 more to decorate 

Fennel twigs to decorate 

Salt & pepper 

Start by mixing the mayonnaise spread

Spread the mayo over the bread and then add the tomato and decorate with the mint and fennel.
Cut the sandwich in three slices each, dispose on a Tea Platter 

Salmon Pumpernickel sandwich for three:

4-5 salmon slices 

2 large Pumpernickel slices of bread 

1/2 t. Butter 

1 T. 1/2 cream cheese 

1 t. capers 

1/2 lemon in thin slices then cut in half moons 

2 T. Spanish onion in thin slices (it's milder)
2 T. fennel cut in thin slices: this is my addition to this sandwich

1/2 t. dried ciboulette to decorate

Several fennel or dill twigs to decorate

Butter the two slices of Pumpernickel

Then spread the cream cheese evenly 

Add the salmon, on the top add the onion slices, the capers and the fennel slices. Finally add the lemon and the fennel twigs and ciboulette .

Cut each sandwich in three and put in a Tea Platter 

Italian Focaccia with spinach filling bought at an Italian bakery.

Enjoy your Afternoon Tea and take the time to color your life starting with the food you eat!

Mexican Cinnamon cookies - Biscuits Mexicains à la cannelle

I started to bake these Mexican cookies when I bought the Williams-Sonoma «Cookies» book seven years ago. Since then I have adopted these delicious cookies for Christmas for two reasons; easy to make and perfect as a Christmas gift. This recipe makes 4 dozens.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of room temperature unsalted butter
1 1/4 Cup of Icing sugar
1 tea spoon of Vanilla extract
1/4 t. spoon of salt
1 3/4 Cup of wheat flour (regular white flour)
1 Cup of almond powder
1 t. spoon of cinnamon
Preheat the over to 350 F  / 176.6 C

Start by beating the butter until it becomes soft and pale. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and continue beating until creamy and light. Add the Vanilla and salt, beat a little more.

Now sift together the flour and the cinnamon. Add the flour and cinnamon mixture to the butter mixture and beet on low speed until just blended. Stir the almond powder and blend then cover and refrigerate for fifteen minutes.

Once the dough is chilled shape it into 1- inch balls (ping pong balls) and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until the cookies are a little bit golden on the bottom. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cook for five minutes. Finally, roll each cookie in the remaining icing sugar and let the cookies cool completely on the wire rack.

Don't forget to share and give these cookies as a Christmas gift wrapped in cellophane paper with a nice ribbon.

Enjoy!

EN FRANÇAIS SVP!

Voici la recette de ces délicieux biscuits à la cannelle et aux amandes:

Ingrédients:

1 tasse de beurre à température pièce
1 1/4 tasse de sucre glace
1 c.  à thé de vanille
1/4 à thé de sel
1 3/4 tasse de farine de blé (farine blanche regulière)
1 tasse d'amandes en poudre
1 à thé de cannelle
Préchauffez le four à 350 F  / 176.6 C

1- Battre le beurre jusqu'à obtenir un mélange pâle et crémeux, ajoutez le sucre et continuez à battre jusqu'à obtenir un mélange onctueux et léger. Incorporez la vanille et le sel, battre un peu plus.
2- Tamisez la farine de blé et la cannelle, ensuite ajoutez ce mélange au beurre, bien battre à vitesse minimale. Incorporez les amandes en poudre et mélangez. Couvrez et réfrigérez pour quinze minutes.
3- Une fois la pâte froide, modelez la pâte en petites balles de ping pong (1 pouce) et déposez sur  une plaque à four (qui n'a pas besoin d'être beurrée). Enfournez pour 10 à 12 minutes, jusqu'à ce que le dessous des biscuits soient dorés. Transférez la plaque sur la grille et laissez refroidir pour 5 minutes.
4- Finalement, roulez chaque biscuit dans le restant de sucre glace que vous avez prélablement mis dans une assiette afin de faciliter cette étape, puis laissez les biscuits refroidir complètement sur la grille.

N'oubliez pas de partager ces biscuits pour Noël enveloppés dans du papier cellophane et un beau ruban!

Bon appétit!

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

These are my all time favourite cookies, it's a recipe from the Mennonite -More with Less Cookbook-. Bake these delicious cookies and let me know if I'm right!

Cookies are not to be eaten alone but to share so the recipe makes 5-6 dozens.

In a bowl start by creaming together the 1 c. of butter or shortening

1/4 c. peanut butter

1:2 c. of sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

Then add the following:

1 1/2 flour

1 t. soda

1/2 t. salt

1 c. rolled oats

1-2 c. chocolate  chips 

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix well, then drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes at 375 F or 190 C

Enjoy with a glass of milk or a cup of cappuccino!

Sharing food is a privilege!