Christmas is the perfect time for a holiday tea. Everyone is excited about the season. The carols are playing and celebrations are in the air. People are gathering and gifting, sharing memories and good times. A tea provides a perfect opportunity to rekindle special friendships and have a moment of repose from the hectic schedule that a holiday can have.

I enjoy gifting my teas to a group, not claiming any expertise, just enjoying the art of serving. These steps and information are a collection over time from personal experiences, likes and enjoyments.

Setting the Stage

Critical to a tea is the stage or venue. Sometimes it might be a theme or just the ambiance that you create. When I have a tea in my home, I want to create a sanctuary where people can enter and leave their cares at the door, even if just for a moment. So the setting is very important.

One of the first steps is to determine how many guests you are expecting. This helps not only for the setup but also for the menu. I generally set up one long table depending on how many attendees there will be, but its also possible to break the group up into smaller settings. You will want to consider the setting to help encourage conversation and fellowship. Once I know the number of guests, I can set the table. This also helps me determine how many teapots, curds and cream, and food towers I will need for the tea. I generally set one pot, curd, cream and tower for every 4-5 people. All of this is dependent on the area where I am having the tea.

This is the setting for one of my Christmas Teas. Always a delightful experience, this is set for 12 guests, so there are 3 towers where the savories and scones will go. Each place setting has a small plate, napkin, silverware, teacup and menu. There will also be 3 teapots and 3 sets of curd and cream to be shared by the group. The table also is also adorned with seasonal decorations, careful not to impede the tea and allowing for easy conversation. I will also have gentle instrumental music on in the background and for this occasion of course, Christmas music.

My home is decorated for Christmas in any of the rooms that my guests will be. There is a nice conversation area where people can visit while waiting for all the guests to arrive. Frequently they will look at the decorations or the tea cups around the room. Guests will come dressed in their holiday best with gifts to share with one another. When its time to begin, the guests will be seated and I will explain how the tea will go forward.

Menu Development

The menu needs to reflect the season or time that you are having your tea. Menu development is fun and very satisfying for me. Once I know the number of guests and any food allergies, I hunt for just the right recipe that will delight my guests and reflect the Christmas flavors. I want this to be memorable for them, anticipating oohs and ahhs from the presentation. I know that means people are relaxing and enjoying themselves. I look for recipes that I can prepare with confidence, comfortably and that I can prepare in advance.

The sequence of presentation for the tea and the food towers is consistent with afternoon tea approaches. The savories are first consumed, then the scones, and finally the desserts. With each course, a particular tea has been paired with the food to enhance the taste.

For this particular Christmas Tea, I selected certain recipes with each item being an individual small serving. Generally for each course, there will be 4-5 items. The menu and recipe links are included.

• For the savory course
  • Christmas Tree Cucumber Sandwiches
  • Spinach Roll http://nummykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/spanakopita-rolls.html
  • Beef Wellington Crostini http://www.teatimemagazine.com/beef-wellington-canapes/
  • Goat Cheese with Cranberry in Endive
  • A Champagne Cranberry Cocktail is offered – Champagne or Proseco with cranberry juice, served in a champagne flute
  • English Breakfast Tea – a classic black tea
• For the scones course
  • Cranberry Orange Scone https://www.pinterest.com/pin/47780446028785785/
  • English Currant Scone https://teastheseason3.com/__trashed/
  • Lemon Curd https://teastheseason3.com/lemon-curd-its-all-about-the-curd/
  • Devonshire Cream
  • Lady Londonderry Tea – a classic black tea with subtle strawberry and lemon notes
• For the dessert course – I serve the dessert course on a separate plate, clearing the table prior to presentation
  • Peppermint Meltaway https://www.thatswhatchesaid.net/peppermint-bark/
  • Mincemeat Tart https://teastheseason3.com/pie-who-has-room-for-pie/
  • Eggnog Mousse http://www.laurenslatest.com/egg-nog-mousse-with-gingersnap-crumbles/
  • Gran Marnier Brownie Bite https://www.pinterest.com/pin/47780446024353786/
  • Chocolate Tea – a nice black tea with just a hint of chocolate

These recipes have been either developed or adapted by me, or used in their entirety by the author. Links have been provided.

Putting it altogether

Assembling everything so that you are able to serve calmly and smoothly can be a challenge. At times, I might have a friend or family member help me prepare and serve, but many times it might just be me. The venue, menu prep, and delivery are carefully combined to make for an enjoyable tea – not only for my guests but also for me.

My kitchen is separate from my dining room and allows for the tea preparation. Using a suspension rod, I actually hang a curtain between the kitchen and the dining room. This allows my guests to be separated from the noise of the kitchen and to have privacy during their conversations.

I like to have everything planned ahead of time and setup as much as I can. I have the teapots lined up, the tea portioned in bags and the water to the desired temperature ready to be steeped and served along with the food tower.

Dessert is the last course and I like to serve this on a separate plate. In preparation for the presentation, I will remove all the food towers, curds and cream. With much anticipation, the plates of Christmas goodies are placed at each guest for their enjoyment. Its so satisfying to see and hear their delight. The conversation continues and gifts are exchanged.

Closing the tea is done with a warm towel to refresh the guest and a gift bag of scones and a Christmas ornament. Well wishes extended for the season as my guests leave, relaxed and full of holiday warmth. For me, a Christmas Tea is as much for my guests as it is a blessing for me.

“Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” ―Washington Irving