The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Cucumber Aioli Canapés

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). I also need to catch up on these recipes. Week three we had Organic India Tulsi Masala Chai Tea, Parmesan and Chive Scones, Cucumber Aioli Canapés, Ham & Apple Sandwiches, Cranberry and Brie Bites, and Mini Pumpkin Creme Brulee.

I couldn’t share the recipes in October as I was in the middle of Horrorfest IX, so I am catching up and of course next is sandwiches.

This comes from Teatime Celebrations magazine. The recipe did call for alfalfa sprouts but I forgot them, but I did have leftover parsley and threw that on top.

Ingredients Lemon-Pepper Aioli:

• 1/4 Cup of Mayonnaise
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Fresh Lemon Zest
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, and pepper-stirring well.
2. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day.

Ingredients Sandwiches:

• 3 Large Slices of Firm White Sandwich Bread, Frozen
• 1 English Cucumber
• Lemon-Pepper Aioli
• Parsley

Directions:

1. Using a 2-inch cutter, cut 12 shapes out of the 3 slices of frozen bread. Discard scraps.
2. Place bread in resealable bag and let thaw.
3. Spread the aioli onto each bread square.
4. Using a mandolin or sharp paring knife, cut 60 paper-thin slices from the cucumber.
5. Place 5 cucumber slices on each bread square, overlapping each circle.
6. Serve immediately.

These were good but not as good as the Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés.  But that’s okay, I like trying out recipes and trying to find the perfect cucumber sandwich.

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Parmesan and Chive Scones

For more recipes, go to Heirloom Tomato Tart

For more Tea Time Magazine Recipes, go to Lemon Gingerbread Cake

For more sandwich recipes, go to Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches

For more cucumber sandwich recipes, go to Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés

For more tea posts, go to Fotina Flower Puffed Pastry

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Tea Time Magazine’s Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

Now we are moving onto week two. We had Chami Spice Ginger Plum Tea, Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones, Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches, Turkey Apple Sandwiches, Fotina Flower Pastry, and Lemon Gingerbread Cake.

I couldn’t share the recipes in October as I was in the middle of Horrorfst IX, so I am catching up and of course starting off our second dinner with scones.

This comes from With Spice. 

Tea first!

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups and 1 Tbsp of Flour
• 1/3 Cup of Sugar
• 1 Tbsp of Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Cold Unsalted Butter Cubed
• 3/4 Cup of Crystallized Ginger, diced
• 1/2 Cup of Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1.5 Cups of Heavy Cream, Cold
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 1 Tbsp of Water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger until well combined.
2. Add the butter and quickly rub it into the flour until it is small pea-sized pieces, or cut the butter using two knives or a pastry blender.
3. Stir in ginger and chocolate chips.
4. Make a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the heavy cream.
5. Using a fork, gently mix the cream and dry ingredients until it becomes a shaggy dough.
6. In the bowl, knead the dough 6-8 times with your hands.
7. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, cut in half and gently shape into round balls.
8. Roll the balls of dough into 7 inch round disks, sprinkling the dough with flour as needed to prevent it from sticking.
9. If the dough wars up too much, put it in the freezer for a few minutes to keep the butter cold.
10. Cut each circle into 6 wedges and place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 2″ between them.
11. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 mins, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Beat together the egg, yolk, and water in a small bowl and using a pastry brush, lightly coat the tops of the scones.
13. Bake the scones 15-18 minutes or until the tops and bottom are golden brown.

These were delicious, and if you like ginger you’ll love these.

And food to go with.

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Mini Apple Pies

For more recipes, go to Tea Time Magazine’s Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry

For more scones, go to Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream

For more tea posts, go to Tea Time Magazine’s Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Mini Apple Pies

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés, Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

I have been posting the recipes from the first meeting, but am ending on the last thing we had during that session: Mini Apple Pies

Today’s recipe is one that I’ve shared before, but made mini. It an easy recipe and a delicious one. After all, who can resist pie?

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

• Pre-made Pie Dough

Filling:

• 1/2 Cup – 1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 6-7 Granny Smith Apples peeled, and cut into slices
• 1 Cup of White Sugar
• 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter

Directions:

1. Peel and slice the apples. When cutting up the apples, make sure to remove the hard pieces where the seed grows along with any spots or blemishes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°
3. Combine the apples, with the brown and white sugar.
4. Add the flour and cinnamon, mixing them all together.
5. Roll out the dough and using a cookie cutter or small bowl, cut round circles out-large enough to fill a cupcake/muffin pan.
6. Lay the apples down on the dough in the pan.
7. Chop the two tablespoons of butter and put a little in each mini pie.
8. Place the second ball of dough down and roll it out into a large circle, cutting it to create a lattice top.
9. Add a dash of cinnamon and sugar on top.
10. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

These were delicious and a great final piece to our tea time. After all, as Mr. Woodhouse says:

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry

For more recipes, go to Tea Time Magazine’s Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches

For more apple pie, go to Are Dean Winchester and Jane Austen Kindred Spirits?

For more desserts, go to The Picture of Earl Grey Tea Cookies

For more tea posts, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Tea Time Magazine’s Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés, Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

We have already had the scones and sandwiches, it is time for a side.

And eat tea treats!

This recipe comes from Teatime’s Teatime Celebrations Autumnal Harvest Tea.

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices of Bacon
• 12 ounces of Ground Pork
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Sage
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Sheet of Frozen Puff Pastry, slightly thawed
• 2 Tablespoons of Spicy Brown Mustard
• 1/2 Cups of Shredded Fontina Cheese
• 1 Large Egg
• Garnish: Fresh Sage

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Line a plate and a heatproof bowl with paper towels.
3. In a large nonstick sauté pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp.
4. Remove bacon, and let drain on the prepared plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan.
5. Add pork, garlic powder, salt, paprika, sage, and pepper to pan; cook, stirring and breaking apart pork with a spoon-until pork is browned and crumbly.
6. Remove pork using a slotted spoon, and let drain in prepared bowl.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry sheet to a 1/8 thickness on a lightly floured surface.
8. Spread mustard onto puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around all sides.
9. Top mustard layer with cooked pork, crumble bacon and sprinkle over pork.
10. Sprinkle cheese over bacon, bring long sides of puff pastry to center encasing ingredients, and pinch puff pastry together to seal.
11. Turn pastry over so seam is on the bottom.
12. Pinch the ends of pastry together, and tuck under to form a loaf.
13. Transfer loaf to prepared baking sheet, seam side down.
14. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush egg was onto loaf.
15. Using a serrated bread knife in a gentle sawing motion, make diagonal cuts across the top of the loaf.
16. Make another set of diagonal cuts in opposite direction, creating a crosshatch design.
17. Bake until puff pastry is golden brown, 15-17 mins. Let cool slightly.
18. Garnish with Sage, serve warm or at room temperature.
19. Using a serrated bread knife in a gentle sawing motion, and slice into 12 pieces.

These were delicious and a great addition to our tea time.

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches

For more recipes, go to Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés

For more sides, go to Super Easy Classic Deviled Eggs

For more tea posts, go to Mug o’ Tea Treats Christmas Gift

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Tea Time Magazine’s Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés, Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

I couldn’t share the recipes in October as I was in the middle of Horrorfst IX, so I will be starting now-and as I started with scones, I’m moving on to sandwiches.

And eat sandwiches!

This recipe comes from Tea Time Magazine Annual British Issue.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Pound of English Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 Cup of Mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons of English Mustard
• 8 Slices of Firm Honey Wheat Bread
• 8 Large Slices of Deli-Style Ham

Directions:

• Using a cheese slicer, cut very thin slices of cheese horizontally from a cheese block (I picked up cheese from the deli so it was already sliced thin.)
• In a small bowl combine mustard and mayonnaise, mix well.
• Spread a layer of mayonnaise mixture onto 8 slices of bread.
• Arrange 2 ham slices on 4 bread slices.
• Place cheese slices over the ham and top with remaining bread slices, spread side down, to make 4 sandwiches.
• Using a serrated bread knife in a gentle sawing motion, trim and discard crusts from each sandwich to create 4.5×2.5-inch rectangles.
• Cut each sandwich into 3 (2.5×1.5-inch rectangles).
• Serve immediately, or cover with damp paper towels, place in a covered container, and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

So my sandwiches didn’t come out quite right, I don’t think I cut the bread as thick as it should have been, as they kept toppling over.

I’ve noticed that a lot of these English recipes want you to use mustard and mayonnaise, not my favorite condiments. I usually half the amounts as that is more to my taste.

Otherwise they were pretty good and very easy to make.

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés

For more recipes, go to Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream

For more sandwiches, go to Cucumber Sandwiches

For more tea posts, go to Mug o’ Tea Treats Christmas Gift