Steampunk Birthday Tea Party!

This weekend I hosted a lovely tea party in celebration of the anniversary of my birth. An eclectic group of my dear friends came together to eat, drink, and be merry, in less than traditional attire. There were top-hats, goggles, bowlers, bustles, corsets, fishnets, and so much more. I simply adore costumes and steampunk is currently my favorite genre.

Enough about the fashion, I know you are more interested in the food. A selection of four tea sandwiches were nestled around a blackberry mixed green salad. Fresh made scones were a big hit. The cake turned out fine, though I feel like I could have been less lazy and made cupcakes, but time has a way of getting away from me when I prepare delicious food.

Tea Sandwiches
Serves 4

8 slices of sturdy white or wheat bread
mayonnaise
mini shrimp, cooked and shelled
sweet hot mustard
2 slices aged swiss cheese
horseradish
butter at room temperature
4 thin slices roast beef
1 cucumber sliced thin
cream cheese

Preparation:
1. Butter the bread to keep the fillings from falling out and to protect the bread from the spreads seeping in. This is not necessary if the sandwiches are to be eaten immediately.
2. Prepare one sandwich of each combination: shrimp and mayo, swiss and mustard, roast beef and horseradish, cucumber and cream cheese.
3. Cut off crusts, cut diagonally and diagonally again to make 16 small triangles (four of each sandwich type).
Optional: use excess cucumber to make cucumber water. In a large pitcher, add cucumber and ice to water, let sit for at least 2 minutes before serving.

Dried Cherry Scones
Makes 8 large scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs cold butter
1/2 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit in small pieces)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter until completely incorporated, use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. There should be no butter lumps and the consistency should be of coarse meal.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg until smooth.
6. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until there are no more dry pockets, you will probably have to use your hands for this.
7. Form dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles using a sharp knife. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with preserves and double devon cream (or butter, as a last resort).


Blackberry Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed greens salad
2 cartons of blackberries
1 bag sliced almonds
2 handfuls crumbled feta
champagne vinaigrette

Preparation:
1. Dress mixed greens in a separate bowl a small amount at a time to ensure good coverage without drowning the salad.
2. Layer fruit, nuts, and cheese on top of salad so the heavy things don't sink to the bottom.


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake with Apricot Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 1 cake

Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Heinz chocolate cake mix (yeah, whatever, it's easy)
oil as per box directions
eggs as per box directions
1 bag mini chocolate chips
butter for greasing cake pans
4-6 Tbs apricot raspberry preserves
1 tub cream cheese frosting
Tootsie rolls to make top hats
2 sugar pearls to make lenses for top hat goggles
1 package golden sugar crystals

Preparation:
1. Prepare the cake batter as per the directions on the box. Add chocolate chips to batter.
2. Pour batter into two greased 9 inch pans and bake as per the direction on the box.
3. Let the cakes cool completely before decorating.
4. Using thread or a very sharp long knife, cut off top of cakes to make them level. (I can't bring myself to waste cake like this, it feels like a sin to sacrifice substance for looks, but do it if you want a flat topped cake).
5. Put a layer of preserves on top of bottom cake, then layer the top cake, making sure that they are lined up.
6. Frost cake, paying particular attention to the sides, edges, and top. If you cut off the top of the cake, you will need a crumb layer of frosting, which just means a thin layer to trap all of the crumbs, then a thicker layer to cover the crumb layer.
7. Decorate with sugar crystals and top hats with goggles. Directions for top hats are here. I use sugar pearls for the eyes instead of the modeling chocolate to make these easier. Also, I'm lazy and don't paint the goggles with luster dust, these things are enough work without that, though the luster dust is awesome.