Child-Made Afternoon Tea For Mother’s Day
Hey Gang!
This is a slightly different post to usual.
Usually, our posts are written for parents and guardians. Most of the time, it’s the ladies who read them, although I know there are plenty of men who like to join their kids in the kitchen too.
But this post is all about preparing a special treat for someone on Mother’s Day. And I don’t think the mams and grans are going to want to rustle it up for themselves!
So, if you’re someone who’d like to be gifted this special spread, now’s the time to subtly direct your child (and/or another adult in your child’s life) towards this post!
And from now on, I’ll be writing to the kids themselves, since they’ll be the ones serving up this elegant feast.
Make Your Own Afternoon Tea: A Mother’s Day Treat to Remember
Afternoon tea is a very special meal that lots of mams, grans, aunties and loved ones adore.
But if you’ve ever looked at the prices, you’ve probably noticed it’s quite expensive in hotels and cafés!
Don’t worry though. There’s good news. I’ve put together some easy-to-follow recipes that will help you make the perfect afternoon tea for the big day.
You’ll be able to find all the ingredients you need in your local supermarket. Lots of them are probably hiding in your press or fridge already!
Best of all, because you’ve made it yourself, afternoon tea will mean even more to the person you give it to. Your time, skills and love are the best gifts of all – even if you make lots of blunders along the way.
Ready? Let’s get going.
Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 190 g self-raising flour
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 230 g butter
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- A handful of chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/gas mark 6
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon.
- Add the butter, sugar and eggs.
- Use an electric hand whisk to mix until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Line a mini muffin tin with cases.
- Fill each case half full with the mixture.
- Bake on the middle shelf for 15 to 20 minutes.
Sandwich Roly Polys
Ingredients
- Slices of bread with the crusts cut off
- Butter
- Ham
- Cheese
Instructions
- Flatten a slice of bread with a rolling pin.
- Spread butter on one side of the bread.
- Sprinkle cheese over the butter and top with ham.
- Roll the slice and fillings up like a Swiss roll.
- Slice the roll into small pinwheels.
- Repeat as often as needed.
Mini Scones
Ingredients
- 250 g self-raising Flour – plus a little extra for dusting
- 60 g salted butter
- 50 g caster sugar superfine sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- 150 ml skimmed milk
Optional for Glaze – Choose 1
- 1 egg cracked and beaten with a fork
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp double cream heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220c/200c fan/gas mark 7 or equivalent.
- Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper or reusable baking mat.
- Sieve your flour into a medium mixing bowl. Chop your butter into small squares and add to the flour.
- Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. Keep going until you have a breadcrumb-like texture.
- Add the caster sugar, sea salt flakes and baking powder, Mix well.
- Gradually add the milk, mixing in a little at a time. Keep mixing gently until it forms a dough. You may not need to use all of the milk. If you add a little too much, simply add a little more flour. Try to work the dough as little as possible.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured board.
- Shape the dough into a rough rectangle. It needs to be a little over 1cm thick.
- Use a 2 inch/5cm fluted cutter to check you have spread the dough out enough to be able to create 12 scones.
- Start cutting out the scones with your cutter. To stop it from sticking, dip it into a little bit of flour before each cut.
- Place each scone onto the lined baking tray. Make sure the scones aren’t touching. They will spread as they cook, so try to leave some space between them.
- Use a pastry brush (or the back of a teaspoon) to spread your chosen glaze over the tops of the scone.
- Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Ingredients
- Fresh white bread
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Cucumber
- Chives optional
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Take 2 slices of bread. Trim off the crusts. Spread butter on one slice. Spread cream cheese on the other slice.
- Decide whether you would like to leave the skin on or peel it off. If you decide to peel, you could use a potato peeler.
- Slice the cucumber thinly. The thinner the better for these sandwiches.
- Place the sliced cucumbers onto the buttered slice of bread. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper (and chives if you are using them) over the cucumbers.
- Place the other slice of bread (the one with the cream cheese) on top.
- Slice into dainty finger triangles
The Finishing Touches
Now you’ve got the food ready, here are a few little things to think about. They’ll help make your Mother’s Day surprise even more special.
Drinks
Will you serve tea, coffee or hot chocolate? You could even go for a cold drink – ask an adult to help you find a nice cordial (fancy dilute juice drink) or perhaps even some Shloer in the shop.
Crockery
This is just a fancy word for plates, cups, saucers, teapots, trays and cake stands! Think about what you’re going to serve your afternoon tea on. Does your family have a nice tea set or could you borrow one from somebody? Perhaps you could borrow a tiered cake stand to display your treats on.
Remember, you could always use some paper doilies (available in most supermarkets or euro shops) to dress up whatever plates you have at home. Or see if you can find some pretty napkins in colours and patterns you think your loved one would like.
Don’t worry if you can’t find these though- remember the food will taste just as nice whatever you serve it on.
Decorations
Why not dress up the kitchen or dining room for the occasion? Bunting is often used for afternoon tea. You can easily make your own from paper and string – or even sew some if you’re good with a needle and thread.
A Handmade Invitation
Consider giving your mam, gran or other loved one a personalised invitation for afternoon tea. Get creative and make it extra special. It will be something she can keep forever as a souvenir of getting spoiled by you!
Finally
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make everything “perfect”. With homemade gifts and surprises, it’s the thought that counts. Just do your best and you’ll make someone very very happy this Mother’s Day!
