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

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Lemon Gingerbread Cake

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 two was Chami Spice Ginger Plum Tea, Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones, Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches, Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches, Fotina Flower Puffed Pastry, and Lemon Gingerbread Cake.

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 the last thing we have to review is dessert.

This comes from Tea Time Magazine andI actually screwed this dessert up as I thought it was cookies, but realized after I had already started the batter-it is cakelets. Not only did I read that wrong, but it turns out that I did not read through all the directions and did not have all the right supplies. There wasn’t time to go get other ingredients or do another recipe so instead I converted it into a cake, with some substitutions.

From Clueless

Oh, well!

Ingredients Cake Batter:

• 2.5 Cups of Flour
• 1/3 Cup of Granulated (White) Sugar
• 1.5 Teaspoons of Ground Ginger
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Cup of Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Tbsp of Fresh Lemon Zest
• 3/4 Cup of Hot Water
• 1/2 Cup of Molasses (Or Substitute with Honey)
• 1/2 Cup of Honey
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Lemon Glaze Ingredients:

• 4 Cups of Confectioner’s Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
• 1/2 Cup of Fresh Lemon Juice

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spay or grease pan.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour sugar, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
4. Add butter, egg, lemon zest, hot water, molasses or the substitute, honey, and vanilla extract.
5. Beat mixture at low speed for about 30 seconds.
6. Increase speed and beat for 3 minutes.
7. Fill pan.
8. Bake until for 20-30 minutes, continue baking until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let cake cool before pouring lemon glaze.

Directions for Lemon Glaze:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour over cake.

 

So because this was cooked in a pan instead of the little molds it took much longer to bake. It also was taking a really long time to bake so I ended up cutting the cake a bit so that it would cook faster and throughout. The frosting covered it, so I didn’t end up having to worry too much about the presentation.

Even though I made a few mistakes and this was not as the recipe intended it to be, it was extremely delicious and we all loved it. I had to send the leftovers with home with my friend as I couldn’t have it with me, I’d eat it all up.

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

For more recipes, go to Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches

For more Tea Time Magazine Recipes, go to Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches

For more Cake recipes, go to Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake

For more dessert, go to Mini Apple Pies

For more tea posts, go to Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Fotina Flower 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). I also need to catch up on these recipes, week two was Chami Spice Ginger Plum Tea, Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones, Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches, Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches, Fotina Flower Puffed Pastry, and Lemon Gingerbread Cake.

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 after sandwiches we have our sides.

And food to go with.

This comes from Tea Time Magazine. I did change the recipe a bit as I took out the olive salad, I forgot to buy it. Oops!

Ingredients:

• 1 Sheet of Frozen Puff Pastry, Slightly Thawed
• 6 (1-inch) Cubes Fotina Cheese
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Tablespoon of Water

Directions:

1. Preheat the Oven at 400 Degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Using 2 1/4 inch flower-shaped cutter, cut 12 flowers from puff pastry sheet.
4. Using a 1-inch round cutter, cut out and discard centers from 6 flowers.
5. Stack a cutout flower on top of a whole flower and place on a prepared baking sheet.
6. Repeat for remaining flowers. Press edges together using a fork.
7. Place a cheese cube in the center of each flower.
8. In a small bowl, combine egg and water, whisking well to make an egg wash.
9. Using a pastry brush, brush tops of flowers with egg wash.
10. Bake until flowers are puffed and golden brown, 10-12 mins.
11. Serve Warm

These weren’t bad but very cheesy. I think they would have been better if I had put in something with the cheese, the olive spread or basil or something.

But otherwise tea was wonderful.

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches

For more recipes, go to Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches

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

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

For more tea posts, go to Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Turkey-Apple 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). I also need to catch up on these recipes, week two was Chami Spice Ginger Plum Tea, Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones, Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches, Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches, Fotina Flower Pastry, and Lemon Gingerbread Cake.

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 after sandwich number one, we have sandwich number two.

YUM!

This comes from Tea Time Magazine. 

Turkey-Apple Tea Sandwiches Ingredients:

• 4 Slices Honey Wheat Bread
• 8 Slices of Smoked Turkey
• 1 Red Apple
• 1 Recipe Cranberry Spread
• 8 Leaves of Baby Spinach

Directions:

1. Using a serrated knife, cut and discard crusts from bread slices, creating a perfect 3-inch square.
2. Cut each square diagonally into 4 triangles.
3. Cover bread with damp paper towels to prevent drying out while preparing other ingredients.
4. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut 8 triangles the same size as the bread triangles from turkey.
5. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut 8 very thin vertical slices from the apple.
6. Spread a layer of the cranberry spread onto each bread triangle.
7. On the cranberry side of 8 bread triangles layer a spinach leaf, a turkey slice, and an apple slice.
8. Top each with a remaining bread triangle, cranberry side down.
9. Serve immediately, or cover with damp paper towels, place in a covered container, and refrigerate for a few hours until ready to serve.

Cranberry Spread Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup of Mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons of Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Cranberries
• 1 Tablespoon of Yellow Mustard
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper.
2. Whisk well.

These were delicious sandwiches and a perfect fall time tea savory.

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Curried Egg Salad Triple Stacks Sandwiches

For more recipes, go to Dark Chocolate Ginger Scones

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

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

For more tea posts, go to Mini Apple Pies