Tea For One

This week, Gracious Hospitality's Blog-a-Thon has suggested our posts demonstrate an afternoon tea setting. The scene I have photographed this week is in my living room.

The cup was given to my mother and father in law on their 50th wedding anniversary. The spoon is twisted silver and a natural unpolished gem is held in the handle by a twisted silver casing. I bought a set of 8, each with a different stone, at an antique shop years ago. I've never seen any like them anywhere else.

The little tea pot for one was a Mother's Day gift from my daughter the year she married, 2001.

The creamer and sugar are part of my Depression Glass collection.

This 6" linen napkin is one of of 8. I bought them in Barbados when my husband and I took a Southern Caribbean cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary. I love bringing home special linens from places I visit. If you ever go to Barbados, it's the place for linens!

A beautiful book to enjoy any afternoon when enjoying a tea break.

This sweet bite is a homemade miniature cream puff, filled with berry sorbet and topped with a little homemade fudge sauce. A fresh strawberry is a pretty garnish. The dessert is served on a pink depression glass plate. Recipes below...

The table my tea setting is on is new to our home. It has been a part of my husbands family for some time, however. It is a Victorian antique, dark mahogany or cherry wood with a rose colored marble top. I imagine it would have been perfect for use in a dining room as a server or beverage table.

The chair is also a Victorian antique. It is a rocker and is quite ornate. Both the chair and the table were left to my husband when his parents died recently.

Cream Puffs
½ cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add shortening to water, bring to boil. Add flour and stir with mixer over heat until dough forms a ball. Cool. Add eggs; heat and mix thoroughly with a mixer over heat until stiff. Drop dough from a spoon, 8 round dollops; bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes. Makes 8 large cream puffs.

Hot Fudge Sauce
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 small can)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and stir constantly over low heat for 1 minute. Add butter and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, continue to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to warm before serving over ice cream or cake.