My 21st Tea Party.

A couple of weeks I turned 21, and as I'm not a huge party girl, I decided to throw myself a High Tea for the occasion! I began planning months ago, as I knew uni would soon catch up to me! And alas, it did! However, not before I had everything ready to go!

Over the last few months, Mum and I have been visiting different op-shops, in the hope of finding some pretty tea cups, plates and tea stands. We found some beautiful treasures which fitted perfectly with my florally feminine theme.

Throughout this time, I was also making my own decorations. One super easy and pretty cute idea I found was bunting made out of paper doilies. All you need to do is find some string, and fold a doily half way and stick it there! Easy peasy!

I was inspired by a picture I had seen on the Internet, which showed jars filled with roses tied together, hanging on a wall. I just loved this idea, and decided to try it out myself. It worked out perfectly, and looked gorgeous on the day! My lovely friend Janelle also lent me her handmade bunting, and some super pretty table cloths to fit out my house.

One week before, I decided to make some shortbread for my guests to take home as a little gift. I used a cute teapot cookie cutter, which matched my theme perfectly. They turned out fairly well, however you need to be super careful when making shortbread. Firstly, you should only cook it for a fraction of the recommended time, as they don't look as nice when they're a shade of brown! Secondly, the consistency has to be spot on-not too crumbly, but definitely not too sticky and wet. Here is the recipe I used (Courtesy of Taste.com):

Traditional Shortbread

Ingredients

© 250g butter, at room temperature
© 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
© 300g (2 cups) plain flour, sifted
© 90g (1/2 cup) rice flour, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to grease. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.
2. Gradually add the combined flour, beating on low speed until almost combined. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth.
3. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Use your hands to shape 1 portion of dough into an 18cm-diameter disc. Transfer to 1 of the prepared trays. Use a flat-bladed knife to smooth the surface. Pinch the edges to create a fluted edge. Use a small sharp knife to score the disc into 8 wedges and use a fork to prick the dough all over. Repeat with the remaining dough to make a second disc.
4. Bake the shortbread in oven, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 40 minutes or until light golden. Set aside on the trays for 10 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

As I wanted the food I served to be as fresh as possible, I waited till the Thursday before the Saturday before I started baking. I made over 80 tart cases, as well as Rose Water Meringues. Whilst my mixture looked beautiful, I didn't leave the meringues in the oven long enough to dry out, resulting in them sticking to the paper, and losing their gooey centre. I learnt my lesson, and the second batch turned out perfectly!

TPB Tip: When making meringues of any shape or form, make sure you leave them in the oven for at least an hour, ensuring that they don't stick to to the baking paper!

On the Friday, my beautiful Oma and Nan came up to help me prepare for the following day. We had so much to prepare, and together, we pulled it off! Our task list was as follows:

© Make lemon curd
© Make caramel filling
© Make cheesecake filling
© Make sponge cake
© Make chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes
© Make vanilla and cream cheese cupcakes
© Prepare wonton cases
© Make custard filling
© Wash all tea cups and plates
© Set out table

It was such a lovely day spending it with these two amazing women, and I am so thankful to have them in my life!!

My mum made an amazing spread of savoury food, including caramelised onion and brie tarts, pin wheels, chicken wonton cups and mini sausage rolls. My brother and dad served cider & long island iced teas to the guests, and did an awesome job might I add! I was so proud of each of them, and I am so so blessed to have them in my life ©

The day went perfectly, and I was totally spoilt by all of my lovely friends! I couldn't have done any of it without my family, and I love them to bits!

P.S. Sorry for the super long post!

Until next time, happy baking.

xx