Winter Afternoon Tea for Chilly, Snowy Days
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A Winter Afternoon Tea for blustery, chilly, and even… snowy days. Warm up with these comfortable and cozy tea recipes and ideas to celebrate winter’s majestic season. And tea pairing ideas that are perfect for cold, winter days.
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Settle by the hearth or nestle into a “sumptuous cocoon of blankets, while away a frosty afternoon savoring the simple pleasures of sipping a favorite brew or indulging in a fresh-baked dessert.”
Gather friends and set a fireside table on a chilly afternoon. Serve small bites, hearty fare, and a steaming pot of tea. “Graciously unconditional, this loyal tonic for the soul gives us hope, solace, and an open invitation to live in the moment.”
Tea Pairing Ideas for a Winter Afternoon Tea
Nothing is more satisfying as the days grow chilly than a warm cup of tea. Whether you are serving a full teatime or want to curl up by the fire with tea, here are some ideas you may enjoy this winter.
- Oolong Tea is delightful with creamy soup like Cream of Potato Soup or Cream of Parsnip Soup or even Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Turmeric and Cumin on a blustery day.
- Rooibos Tea pairs well with soups and savory options with strong flavors like curry or or spicy and even sweet flavors like Slow Cooker Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons or a Healthy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
- Aasam Tea, a delightful black tea, pairs well with hardy or richly flavored recipes. It also pairs well with chocolate, custard, and lemon treats.
- Green Tea is always a healthy choice for pairing with lighter foods when you’re keeping healthy resolutions. It pairs especially well with seafood, chicken, salads, and mildly flavored foods.
- Fresh Lemon Ginger Tea is a wonderfully flavored, simple, and healthy tea to make all through the wintertime.
Afternoon Tea Resources
Afternoon Tea at 31Daily
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Winter Afternoon Tea Recipes
Simple winter recipes to gather friends and family near. From hardier fare to warm your toes with rich flavors and deep comfort.
Recipes for a Winter Afternoon Tea
Cream Cheese Scones
“Served with jam and clotted cream, these Cream Cheese Scones bake up golden brown for a classic teatime favorite. These iconic confections are delightfully balanced with the perfect amount of sugar and then lightly coated with cream before popping into the oven for a melt-in-your-mouth finish.”
Crumpet Recipe for Breakfast or Teatime
This Crumpet recipe is easy to make for teatime and perfect for winter. If you can make pancakes, you can make your own crumpets. And yes, most decidedly, serve them with tea!
Smoked Gouda and Rosemary Scones
“Smoked Gouda and Rosemary Scones, made with self-rising flour, fresh rosemary, and gouda cheese.” A warm and savory component to a winter afternoon tea.
Scottish Oat Scones with Honey Drizzle
A hearty winter-perfect scone that’s easy to make and perfect drizzled with honey.
Cauliflower-Leek Soup
"Flavored with chives, russet potatoes, leeks, and cauliflower florets, this scrumptious Cauliflower-Leek Soup is a light and refreshing savory to serve for afternoon tea."
Creamy Parsnip-Leek Soup with Chocolate Brioche Croutons
“This sweet-and-savory combines the flavors of parsnip-leek soup with chocolate brioche croutons.”
Warm Vichyssoise Soup Recipe
This Warm Vichyssoise Soup is a vintage potato soup recipe, much like cream of potato soup. It's a French-inspired creamy and velvety soup that is deliciously special and even elegant. Plus, it can be made in 15 minutes or less.
French Lentil Salad in Frico Cups
“Crispy Frico Cups made from Parmesan cheese are a lovely way to serve French Lentil Salad.”
Beef-Mushroom Carbonnade in Pastry Shells
"This hearty bite is beautifully balanced and remarkably tasty thanks to a filling of tender beef, chopped vegetables, and a hint of bittersweet chocolate all housed inside a buttery pastry shell."
Turkey-Lingonberry Puffs
"A savory, hearty addition to any winter tea."
Shepherds' Pies
"Individual Shepherds’ Pies turn a winter afternoon tea into a hearty meal.:
Trio of Tea Sandwiches
"A plate of distinctively shaped sandwiches creates a hearty mix of options that will satisfy late-afternoon appetites. Clockwise from bottom right: Wrapped in thin strips of English cucumber, rectangular Roast Beef Tea Sandwiches are layered with provolone cheese and Horseradish Cream. Egg-and-Olive Salad mixed with whole-grain mustard is spread between triangles of pumpernickel bread garnished with egg slices and fresh dill. Round Smoked-Salmon Tea Sandwiches topped with fresh oregano feature stacked bread slices slathered with creamy dill spread and pancetta."
Ham Salad Tea Sandwich Stackers
“These Ham Salad Tea Sandwich Stackers are a delightful treat.”
Roast Pork Salad Mini Phyllo Cups
“Delicate and decadent tea savories are made simple with these Roast Pork Salad Mini Phyllo Cups.”
Reuben Tartlets
“All the delicious flavors of a Reuben sandwich are included in this dainty yet satisfying tartlet.”
Smoked Salmon Quiche Recipe
When brunch season arrives, Smoked Salmon Quiche is a delightful dish that’s simple to make, utterly creamy and delicious, and a wonderful addition to any brunch menu!
Spiced Orange Sponge Cake
“This delicious Spiced Orange Sponge Cake, which uses beaten egg whites as leavening, is flavored with orange, citrusy spices coriander and cardamom, and a complementary marmalade glaze.”
Black Tea and Anise Mini Fluted Cakes
“Enjoy a special infusion in these mouthwatering Black Tea and Anise Mini Fluted Cakes.”
Mini Orange Marmalade Cakes - Victoria Magazine
"Mini Orange Marmalade Cakes feature ribbons of marmalade between layers of fluffy cake crowned with creamy vanilla frosting and fresh begonias."
Chocolate-and-Salted-Coffee Caramel Tart
"A flaky crust, rich with butter, rims a layer of espresso-infused caramel and a velvety filling of bittersweet ganache sprinkled with sea salt in this Chocolate-and-Salted-Coffee Caramel Tart."
Bettys Cafe Tea Room Blackberry and Lemon Torte
“A signature offering, the Bettys Blackberry and Lemon Torte features fresh berries and smooth filling in a flaky, sweet pastry crust.”
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
A simple Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe made from a lighter, healthier version of classic banana bread. Yet still moist and rich; infused with chocolatey decadence that's perfect for snack time or teatime.
Chocolate Ganache Mini Tarts
These Chocolate Ganache Mini Tarts are a chocolate lover's dream. A tender toasted almond shortbread crust is filled with an irresistible chocolate ganache that's so easy, you won't believe it.
First Lady Dolley Madison's Woodbury Cinnamon Teacakes
Treat your guests to a teacake served by First Lady Dolley Madison at her renowned White House afternoon teas in the early 1800s.
Vanilla Tea Cake Cookies
Vanilla Tea Cake Cookies are a simple buttery, soft vanilla tea cookie perfect for afternoon tea. Much like Scottish Shortbread, the ingredients are simple, but the texture and vanilla flavors are deliciously unforgettable.
Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies
These Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies are rich and buttery cookies with a bright hint of lemon and nutty undertones of poppy seeds.
Hi Stephanie,
Love your site. Wondering if you have made the individual shepherd’s pie recipe for an afternoon Christmas tea? I was wanting to have an evening tea for Christmas and was wondering your thoughts on the shepherd’s pie. Do you think I should still serve a savory scone with it along with the tea sandwiches and dainties? What are your thoughts? Thinking that most ladies would need a little hearty entree as it would be around dinner time. Have you done anything like this? Or have any ideas? Or do you think it would just be better to have it in the afternoon.
Hi Corrie! Thank you so much! I’m so excited for you and your Christmas Tea. I love that you’re planning your menu ahead. It will be so much easier to have that part set. You’ve inspired me.
I love your idea of having mini shepherd’s pies. In fact, it’s hearty enough that if you serve it later, your tea could be a high tea instead of an afternoon tea. Both teas at Christmas would be festive and wonderful.
I do think I would serve scones and maybe choose one with holiday fruits (like currants or citrus). Or, you can never go wrong with cream scones either.
When I serve a high tea during the holidays, I often add greens on the side, either roasted vegetables and/or a seasonal salad with fruit, depending on the guest list. And honestly, I love both of your ideas! It’s such a memorable occasion that everyone fortunate enough to come to your tea will never forget it. I’d love to stay in touch!
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for the quick response. So, If I serve the cream scone with mini shepherd’s pies would this be the first course? Would I still serve tea sandwiches for the second course and then the sweets? Or would it be the shepherd’s pie with a small salad, then the cream scone, then the tea sandwiches and then sweets? Sorry a little confused if serving all or omitting the tea sandwiches. Not quite understanding what the etiquette would be if adding the mini shepherd’s pies. Thank you for your time.
Traditionally, the British often serve the scones as a second course. In U.S. tearooms, scones are often served as a first course so they can be warm when brought to the tea table. I would serve the scones in the order that makes sense with your menu.
If you follow the British model, the first course would be the savories (tea sandwiches and shepherd’s pie), the second course would be the scones and the accompaniments (jam, clotted cream, etc). The third course would be the sweets.
If serving on a three-tiered tray, most often you serve tea sandwiches and savories on the bottom, scones in the middle, and sweets on top. If they don’t all fit on a three-tier tray, it is completely appropriate to have individual serving trays.
And remember, this will be a special events for your guests. I love etiquette (my bookshelves are lined with them), but what your guests will remember most is that you cared enough to set a pretty table and invite them for tea. Especially, an autumn tea! Your menu will be delicious and special and memorable!
Loved all the recipes. Keep up the wonderful job.
Thank you so much, it is such a pleasure!