Apple tea was a refreshing treat at the back-to-school tea party I did for my children recently. I sampled it hot, and it was delicious! But for our outdoor party we enjoyed it over ice.
Apple Tea
Brew 3 family-size tea bags for 3 to 5 minutes. Allow the tea to cool slightly, then stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar. Add 2 to 3 cups apple juice, depending on how strong you want the apple flavor to be. Pour the cooled mixture into a pitcher and fill to the top with water. Serve over ice. Makes 1 gallon.
Fresh maple scones were a treat served with apple jelly and almond cream. I froze the leftover scones to reheat and serve later with blackberry jam.
Maple Scones
4 cups flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups half and half
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, and cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Separate an egg, placing the yolk and white in separate bowls. Beat egg yolk with a fork, then stir in cream. Add this mixture to the crumbly dough, and stir lightly with a fork until the dough sticks together. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 5 or 6 times. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough, and place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Beat the reserved egg white, and stir in 1/3 cup cream and 2 tablespoons Mapeline flavoring. Brush this mixture over the scones, and sprinkle the tops with additional sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm. Note: Freeze leftover baked scones. To reheat, bake frozen scones in a 350-degree oven until warm.
I love apples in my chicken salad, but I thought serving chicken salad on apples would be a refreshing twist for this afternoon tea favorite.
Chicken Salad on Apples
1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Grey Poupon Mild and Creamy
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/3 cup celery, finely diced
1/6 cup walnuts
3 to 4 medium apples
Lemon juice
Place shredded chicken in a mixing bowl. Combine mayonnaise through basil in a separate bowl, stirring to make a dressing. Spoon this over chicken, and stir to combine thoroughly. Gently fold in celery and walnuts. Store in the refrigerator. Shortly before serving, cut apples into thin slices and dip the slices in lemon juice. Use a melon baller to scoop chicken salad onto the apple slices. Serves 6.
Little apple cupcakes provided a sweet end to our back-to-school tea. To make these, I piped red icing onto mini cupcakes with a star tip, peaking the icing in the middle to create a domed effect. A tiny piece of chocolate tucked into the icing looked like a stem, and a little green leaf piped onto the stem finished off the apple.
I hope you will show loved ones they are the apple of your eye by sitting down together with one of these easy recipes!
