Jane Austen Birthday Party Menu, Plus How to Dip Cookies in Chocolate, and a Sugar Cookie Recipe

So as you know if you have been following my page, I just celebrated my 29th birthday with a Jane Austen Garden Tea Party.

Some of you might be wondering why I am so extensively going through all the party planning and it was because I had been planning to have this two years ago, but life got in the way so I decided to wait and now I’ve finally been able to have it.

Party time!

So far we have gone over invitations, decorations, prizes, activities to have, how to make your own piñata, etc. Before we go over the games I thought I would share the menu.

So starting with sandwiches, remember how we’ve been having those The Magician’s Nephew Bible study/book club/tea party? Well, those have also been a dry run for me as it gives me a chance to try out recipes and see which ones I really love. I decided to start off with one I really loved: Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches

I also really love cucumber sandwiches and wanted to use the recipe from Spend With Pennies but to save time I used Chive and Onion Cream Cheese Spread.

I know not everyone will be into them so I needed some regular sandwiches. I decided on Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches:

And I rounded it out with Tea Time Magazine’s Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches:

Out of all of them, the Ham and Cheese did the best. They were all gone before the party’s end.

My mom made a salad for a side and then we went to the strawberry farm down the street and bought a ton of strawberries. Yep, I wanted it to be like Donwell Abbey.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any scones. I had wanted to make some, but I ran out of time. I had also planned to buy some, but when I went to the store they were all out.

But I had lots of desserts! I had made them a few weeks earlier and put them in the freezer until the day before the party. The first cookie I made was Crispy, Chewy, Matcha Green Tea Cookies.

People didn’t really like these as much as the other cookies, but I love them. They were eaten, just not as much as all the others.

The next cookie I made was Basic Shortbread:

But I used a cookie cutter to make them into teapot shape; along with cutting the other half of the cookies into a teabag shape. And I dipped them in chocolate

Chocolate Dipped Cookies:

1. Have your cookies baked and cooled.
2. Using a double broiler, melt a chocolate bar or chocolate chips.
3. If you do not have a double broiler, get two pots about the same size or have one be slightly smaller than the other. Heat water in one until it boils. Turn down the flame and take the other pot and hold it over the one with boiled water. Place the chocolate in the top pot and stir until melted.
4. When chocolate is melted, dip cookies and lay on wax paper. Put cookies in freezer or fridge to get chocolate to harden.

The last cookie I made was Better Home and Gardens Sugar Cookies.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 Cup of Shortening
• 3/4 Cups of Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
• 1 Egg
• 4 Teaspoons of Milk
• 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour (Sifted)
• 1.5 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

Directions:

1. Throughly cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla.
2. Add egg; beat until mixture light and fluffy.
3. Stir in milk.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Blend dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
6. Divide dough in half.
7. Chill for one hour.
8. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 of an inch thickness.
9. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
10. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes.
11. Cool slightly, then remove from pan.

I had wanted to make Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake but I ran out of time and I ended up just buying an Almond Poppyseed cake from Raleys. It was good, but not as amazing as the Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake.

My friend also made Carrot Cake (my favorite) and carrot cake cupcakes. I didn’t take a picture of the cake (so good) but in the picture below, where the cupcakes are is where the cake was placed. All the cupcakes were gone by the end of the party. The recipe is a secret or else I would have shared that too.

I’ve been having so much fun sharing all these things with you, and even though the party has ended I will be continuing to share all my other party plans!

For more of my Jane Austen Birthday plans, go to Jane Austen Birthday Party: Croquet

For more Jane Austen party ideas, go to Jane Austen Birthday Party: Paper Fan Making

For more desserts, go to Melt-in-Your-Mouth Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies

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

For more recipes, go to Savory Beef Hand Pies

Lemon Curd

So last month my book club met and discussed the book The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. Typically we just have light snacks, but as I didn’t have to work due to the quarantine, I decided I would do a little tea party.

In the book our book club had been reading, The Secret Adversary, the two main characters go to tea a few times at Lyons Tea Cafe. I originally wanted to try to make something like the tea shop would have, but then my coworker gave me a whole box of Meyer’s Lemons.

I need to find some recipes.

So instead we had egg salad sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, french fries (pommes pont neuf), Scottish Oat scones, lemon curd, lemon crinkle cookies, and meyer lemon poppyseed cake. Instead of putting all the recipes in one post and making it too long, I decided to break it up and share each recipe separately so that if interested, you can make your own and eat it with a cup of tea and some Jane Austen.

This recipe comes from Epicurious.com and I picked it for my first attempt at lemon curd as it used the whole eggs not just the egg yolks.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup of Meyer’s Lemon Juice
• 2 Teaspoons of Finely Grated Fresh Lemon Zest
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs
• 3/4 Stick (6 Tablespoons) of Butter

Directions:

1. Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2 quart heavy saucepan.
2. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 mins.
3. Transfer lemon curd to bowl and cover with plastic.
4. Chill until cold, about 1 hour.

This came out horribly!

Everything looked fine, but when I took it out of the fridge an hour later-it had separated into two parts. I poured it into a jar and tried to mix it up, but then it came out very liquidy-and when you spooned a bit on the scones it just soaked into them instead of garnishing them.

I will never make this recipe again.

For more lemon recipes, go to Ginger Cardamom Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies

For more recipes, go to Scottish Oat Scones

For more tea parties, go to Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Scottish Oat Scones

So at the end of last month, my book club met and discussed the book The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. Typically we just have light snacks, but as I didn’t have to work due to the quarantine, I decided I would do a little tea party.

And eat scones!

We had egg salad sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, french fries (pommes pont neuf), Scottish Oat scones, lemon curd, lemon crinkle cookies, and meyer lemon poppyseed cake. Instead of putting all the recipes in one post and making it too long, I decided to break it up and share each recipe separately so that if interested, you can make your own and eat it with a cup of tea and some Jane Austen.

Today’s scone recipe I found on pinterest, but originally comes from Lisa’s Kitchen. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 Cups of Flour
• 2 Cups of Rolled or Steel Cut Oats
• 1/4 Cup of Sugar
• 4 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of salt
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Cup of Unsalted Butter (1 stick), melted
• 1/3 Cup of Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and grease or line a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
4. In small bowl, beat the egg until frothy.
5. Now add butter and milk to egg, and whisk to combine.
6. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together until you have a soft dough.
7. Shape and pat the dough into two 6-7 inch circles.
8. Cut into 6-8 pie shaped wedges and bake 10-15 mins, or until golden brown.
9. Let cool for a few minutes.
10. Serve with butter and/or jam.

This were very good, but the dough was a little dry which made it hard to stick together, ad after they baked they crumbled. I think if I was to make them again I would add a little more milk.

Otherwise these were delicious! I could see making them again and again and enjoy them.

Or scones!

For more scone recipes, go to Irish Blueberry Scones

For more recipes, go to Ginger Cardamom Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies

For more tea parties, go to Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake

For more pinterest recipes, go to Iced Blackberry Infused Earl Grey Tea

Ginger Cardamom Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies

So the last week my book club met and discussed the book The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. Typically we just have light snacks, but as I didn’t have to work due to the quarantine, I decided I would do a little tea party.

In the book, The Secret Adversary, the two main characters go to tea a few times at Lyons Tea Cafe. I originally wanted to try to make something like the tea shop would have, but then my coworker gave me a whole box of Meyer’s Lemons.

What am I going to do with all these?

So instead we had egg salad sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, french fries (pommes pont neuf), Scottish Oat scones, lemon curd, lemon crinkle cookies, and meyer lemon poppyseed cake. Instead of putting all the recipes in one post and making it too long, I decided to break it up and share each recipe separately so that if interested, you can make your own and eat it with a cup of tea and some Jane Austen.

And eat cookies!

This recipe comes from Pineapple & Coconut. 

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 2 Cups + 2 Tbsps of Flour
• 1.5 Tsp of Ground Ginger
• 1.5 Tsp of Cardamom
• 2 Tsp of Baking Powder
• 3/4 Tsp of Salt
• 1 Cup of Sugar
• 4 Tbsp of Meyer Lemon’s Zest
• 10 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tbsp of Meyer Lemon’s Juice

Topping:

• 1 Cup of Sugar
• 1 Cup of Powdered Sugar (Confectioners Sugar)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cardamom, ginger, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest between your fingers until it is fully mixed in with the sugar.
3. Cream butter and sugar-zest mixture together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 mins.
4. Add eggs in one at a tim, mixing well.
5. Add in vanilla extract and lemon juice, and mix again.
6. Add flour and mix slowly until combined, do not over mix.
7. Chill dough 3-4 hours.
8. Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.
9. Place the sugar in one bowl and powdered sugar in the other.
10. Take the chilled dough and roll into 1.5 Tbsp sized balls.
11. Roll in sugar first, then roll in powdered sugar-making sure it is completely covered.
12. Place dough on prepared sheets about two inches apart.
13. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden.

These cookies were delicious!

I could not stop eating them!

No, stop! Alright.

If you like lemon and cookies, you should defintely make these!

And proper quarantine masks.

For more cookie recipes, go to Crispy, Chewy, Matcha Green Tea Cookies

For more recipes, go to Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake

For more tea parties, go to Literary Tea Parties

Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake

So the last Monday of the month our book club meets to discuss the book we have been reading. I used to have Mondays off and we would go out after the other book club members got off, but my job changed and we now meet after I get off at 5. Typically we just have light snacks, but as this Monday I didn’t have to work due to the quarantine, I decided I would do a little tea party.

The book we had just finished reading wasThe Secret Adversary, and the two main characters go to tea a few times at Lyons Tea Cafe. The book is set in 1921, and I tried to find a menu of the time but couldn’t.

I did find one from 1913 which did included pommes pont neuf and a few other things. I had decided what to make when my coworker gave me a whole box of Meyer’s Lemons.

That’s not good.

We had been talking about the lemons as I shared I wanted to try making lemon curd, as I have more free time, but I thought she was just going to give me one or two, not a box full.

Uh oh

So instead of what sweets I planned to make, we were doing a lemon theme.

So we had egg salad sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, french fries (pommes pont neuf), Scottish Oat scones, lemon curd, lemon crinkle cookies, and meyer lemon poppyseed cake. And we all had a wonderful time talking about our book, snacking, and drinking tea.

After all:

I had planned to share each recipe with you, starting with the scones, but then Marnie Cannon on instagram asked about the cake recipe, so instead we will be starting with that. But I will still share the others throughout the month. If any interest you, I encourage you to try them out.

This recipe comes from Browned Butter Blondie.

Cake Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup of Butter at Room Temperature
• 1 Cup + 1 Tbsp of Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs at Room Temperature
• 1.5 Tbsps of Lemon Zest
• 2 Tbsps of Lemon Juice
• 1.5 Tsp of Vanilla
• 1.5 Cups + 2 Tbsp of Flour
• 1/2 Tsp of Salt
• 1/4 Tsp of Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tsp of Baking Powder
• 1.5 Tbsp of Poppyseeds
• 1/2 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt at Room Temperature

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Confectioner’s Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
• 3-4 Tbsps of Whole Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the ovem to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9 x 4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
4. Use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together.
5. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each egg.
6. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
7. With the mixer on low add some of the flour mixture, and mix.
8. Then add the yogurt and mix. Repeat alternating between flour mixture and yogurt.
9. Remove from mixer and mix in poppyseeds, but just until they are incorporated. Do not overmix.
10. Pour batter into pan and cook for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
11. Remove from oven and cool for 10 mins.
12. While cake is cooling, whisk confectioner’s sugar and milk together.
13. While cake is warm, spoon the glaze over the top.
14. Sprinkle with poppyseeds if desired.

This was extremely delicious! If you like lemon and lemon cake I suggest you try it out for yourself.

For more recipes, go to Irish Soda Bread

For more desserts, go to Crispy, Chewy, Matcha Green Tea Cookies

For more tea parties, go to Literary Tea Parties