Recipes Drinks Tea 18 Tea Party Classics, from Scones to Sandwiches By Food & Wine Editors Updated on January 24, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: © Con Poulos Add some pizazz to a late-afternoon, British-inspired gathering with delicate tea sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats. Read on for our collection of favorite tea-time recipes. 01 of 18 Double-Lemon Scones © Marcus Nilsson Lemon–poppy seed cake meets scones in this delightful recipe from F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple. Get the Recipe 02 of 18 Curried Egg Tea Sandwiches © CON POULOS Cookbook author Martha Hall Foose says that in the early 1960s, The Time Life Picture Cook Book inspired Mississippi ladies to "go exotic" by adding ingredients like curry powder and orange zest to egg salad tea sandwiches. Get the Recipe 03 of 18 Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Pastry chef Paola Velez's recipe for these chocolate sandwich cookies creates crisp, buttery cookies filled with rich, fluffy milk chocolate ganache. The creamy filling is made with chocolate and butter instead of the usual heavy cream, resulting in a softer ganache. Get the Recipe 04 of 18 Cucumber-Rye Tea Sandwiches © Con Poulos Little slices of party rye are a Southern favorite for tea sandwiches: "You don't see regular rye down here every day," Martha Hall Foose says. If party rye isn't available, use a cookie cutter to create rounds from regular bread slices. Get the Recipe 05 of 18 Mini Chocolate-Hazelnut Cheesecakes © Fredrika Stjärne Whole, cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies are broken up in a food processor with hazelnuts and butter to create a super-crunchy crust for these delectable little cheesecakes. The cream filling in the cookies both sweetens the crust and prevents it from becoming too crumbly. Get the Recipe 06 of 18 Meyer Lemon Marmalade © Tina Rupp Likely a cross between an orange and a lemon, the Meyer lemon gives this sweet-tart marmalade a bright citrus flavor. Get the Recipe 07 of 18 Mushroom Pomponnettes © James Baigrie At restaurant Daniel, Daniel Boulud makes these popular bite-size mushroom quiches in individual molds, but mini-muffin pans are perfect substitutes. Get the Recipe 08 of 18 Burnt Honey-Orange Tuiles Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen The beauty of this cookie-brittle hybrid is that you can make it with any croissant — homemade or store-bought. To get thin, even slices, freeze the croissants for about 15 minutes before slicing. To ensure a crispy tuile, let the croissant slices bake until they are a deep golden brown to give the sugar in the syrup time to caramelize and harden to the perfect texture. Get the Recipe 09 of 18 Mini Brie Sandwiches with Quick Balsamic-Leek Jam Charissa Fay These crisp, buttery, and supremely gooey grilled cheese sandwiches get fantastic tang from sourdough bread and a bright mustardy bite from leeks. They were inspired by a quiche that TV chef Alex Guarnaschelli ate years ago made from brioche layered with caramelized leeks and baked with Gruyère and Parmesan. In this version, she swaps in creamy Brie. Get the Recipe 10 of 18 Strawberry-Ricotta Tartlets © Con Poulos Pastry chef Heather Tirrell uses buttermilk to make the ricotta she piles on graham tartlet shells. But any good, store-bought ricotta would be fine, she says. Get the Recipe 11 of 18 Buttermilk Crumpets Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Paige Grandjean / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Crisp on the outside with an airy, spongy center, crumpets are lovely hot out of the pan but also reheat beautifully in the toaster. Buttermilk helps to keep them tender and light, while spelt flour lends a nutty flavor. Get the Recipe 12 of 18 Coconut Cake © Karen Mordechai Coconut cake, a dainty dessert, was in vogue in the 1920s for ladies' gatherings. Traditionally made with marshmallow frosting, the cake was famously served to President Truman during a trip to Florida in the 1950s. Get the Recipe 13 of 18 Two-Bite Parmesan Biscuits Caitlin Bensel These biscuits are baked on a bed of grated Parmesan cheese, resulting in a crispy, cheesy crust around the bottom of each biscuit. Perfect on their own, try them drizzled with a bit of honey, or improvise by tossing a few handfuls of fresh thyme or chives into the dough to take them over the top. Get the Recipe 14 of 18 Chocolate-Dipped Florentine Shortbreads © Dana Gallagher Here, pastry chef Pierre Hermé combines the tenderness of shortbread with the elegance of florentines, the caramelized almond cookies studded with glittering candied fruit. Get the Recipe 15 of 18 Fresh Ricotta and Radish Crostini © John Kernick Homemade ricotta cheese is completely delicious and unbelievably easy to prepare — all it takes is milk, lemon juice, and a little heat. Chef Paul Kahan spreads it on crostini, then adds a few slices of pretty red radish and a sprinkling of pepper. Get the Recipe 16 of 18 Lemon-Buckwheat Shortbread Victor Protasio Lemon filling highlights the nuttiness of buckwheat flour in these shortbread cookie sandwiches from 2017 F&W Best New Chef Nina Compton. Get the Recipe 17 of 18 Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Tart © Oddur Thorisson Blogger Mimi Thorisson spreads store-bought puff pastry with mustard-shallot béchamel, then layers it with ham and cheese before baking it into a crisp, rich, croque monsieur–like tart. Get the Recipe 18 of 18 Earl Grey Tea Bread Victor Protasio Tea loaves have roots that branch out across Britain and Ireland. There are purists in all corners and plenty of debate about which version is best, but the basic premise remains the same wherever you go: Strong tea is used to make a silky, only lightly sweet cake batter, often with spices, which is then baked into a hearty loaf with dried fruit. Here, Earl Grey tea, along with the addition of a little orange zest, brings a welcome aromatic edge. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit