Surviving Ladies' Tea

From the book, "Afternoon Tea at Pittock Mansion" Quote by Haddyr Leigh:


"If your tongue trips over 'oolong' and there's no place for your spoon,

If you end up with your cookie on your knee

If dainty conversation leaves you speechless far too soon,

You need some help surviving Ladies' Tea."


The Tea Lady thinks this little rhyme is just precious and very appropriate for an etiquette and tea blog. Even though the speaker refers to "Ladies' Tea" it should be noted that men take tea as well. In many cultures, business is conducted over tea and in some places, such as Uzbekistan, only men partake in a tea ritual.


So how does one, male or female survive Ladies' Tea? The Tea Lady likes to remember a quote by American humorist, Will Rogers, who said, "Don't take yourself too seriously.....just live your life so you wouldn't be ashamed to sell your family parrot to the town gossip."

What is....Cream Tea?

Since tasty tidbits are promised in the description of this blog, I shall make you wait no longer for one. Cream Tea is the simplest of all the tea meals and only requires scones, jam and cream and a pot of tea. It is perfect for a light breakfast. Cream Tea originated in southwestern England around Devon and Cornwall.

The cream being referred to is clotted cream or Devon cream. Both of these are available in many upscale grocery stores and gourmet shops. Unopened the jars will last for a long time. Once opened, they need to be refrigerated and used within 2 days. While not exactly the same, this homemade version provides a nice substitute:

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

Mix all 3 ingredients in a glass jar with a lid. Cover and let stand unrefrigerated for 6 hours. Refrigerate for another 4 hours. To serve put the cream in a pretty bowl and use a sliver demitasse spoon.

The classic jam served with cream tea is strawberry although black currant is very lovely. If the jam is homemade all the better. The difference between jam and jelly is that jam will have bits and pieces of the fruit mixed in. Jelly is clear. They say the key to a good jelly is that one be able to read the newspaper through it.

Now for the scones. These are a must for any tea. There are several mixes out there and my favorite is the brand Sticky Fingers (just add water). If you want to try your hand at making them from scratch here is the recipe used in my tea shoppe for Classic Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup dried fruit: curants, cranberries, cherries, blueberries

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Using fingers or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture looks like dry cake mix. Blend the egg and buttermilk together; add to the flour mixture. Stir quickly until a soft ball of dough forms. Do not overmix. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead in the dried fruit.

You have a few options for forming the scones:
*Use a small ice cream scoop to portion out dough; flatten each ball slightly

*Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with a round cookie cutter

*Gather the dough into a ball and lightly press into a circle about 1 inch thick; use a large knife to score the dough into 8 wedges, don't cut all the way through

Place the scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree (F) oven 10-12 minutes for individual scones or 15-20 for the circle of wedges. The scones should be light brown. If desired, brush with some heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar before baking.

The Tea Lady prefers a nice robust tea such as a Keemun, Assam or Yunnan with her cream tea. These strong teas stand up well to the sweetness of the jam and cream slathered on her scones. Enjoy!

Bad Habits?

Quote of Day: "I gots bad 'habits. I takes me tea at 5." Another version of this quote from Mick Jagger, of the Rolling Stones, uses 3 instead of 5 as the time he takes tea. Why does Jagger consider his time for taking tea to be a bad habit? The traditional hour for taking afternoon tea is 4:00 pm. However, etqiuette dictates that afternoon tea may be taken anywhere between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Even though he seems to relish his bad boy image, Mick Jagger is actually displaying good habits by taking tea at 3 or at 5.

Why Etiquette and Tea?

Well, why not? Tea is timeless, etiquette is timeless and both can make things run smoother. Tea is aromatherapy in a cup; soothing or stimulating depending on your mood. Etiquette is more than just good manners. It is your ticket to attaining success in every aspect of your life.

Why etiquette and tea? Both go hand in hand with ritual and ceremony. In this instant-message "tall, grande, venti" world today ritual and ceremony tend to be forgotten. This is my way of bringing them back to the forefront.

Why etiquette and tea? Because The Tea Lady says so.