Afternoon tea is a whimsical and fanciful tradition that began in the 1840s when upper-class individuals wanted to find a way to hold themselves over between their lunch meal and a late dinner. The event usually takes place daily at the earliest of 3:30 p.m. local time and ends at 5 pm. An afternoon tea menu usually consists of small sandwiches, tea, of course, and an array of pastries to choose from.
Whether you are British or not, we have 5 of the best pastries featured for your next afternoon tea. Maybe after a relaxing afternoon tea, . Especially after being fueled up by your favorite tea and pastries, you never know what could happen when you spin the roulette wheel or spin that slot reel.
1. Madeleine Cakes
Madeleine cakes mainly have a butter base in the traditional genoise batter in which they are made. While sometimes people refer to them as cookies because of how small they are, madeleines are, in fact, tiny sponge cakes shaped like shells because of the dariole molds utilized to bake them in the oven. The cakes contain notes of almond from the ground up nut as well as lemon zest in the batter that gives it that zingy, citrus taste.
2. Biscotti
The city of Prato in Tuscany is responsible for birthing the delicious pastry called biscotti, which is an Italian almond biscuit. Crunchy and delicious, biscotti come in many various flavors. It’s baked into a crunchy cookie-like consistency in the shape of a finger.
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Biscotti, a popular Italian dessert, is traditionally enjoyed after dinner with Vin Santo wine. Given its dunking-friendly nature, biscotti also makes a fantastic afternoon tea treat. Simply pair it with your favorite tea for a delightful and satisfying snack. Chai tea or even black or green tea pairs well with any biscotti flavor. The most popular flavors are usually almond, pistachio cranberry, banana walnut, double chocolate, and so much more!
3. Scones
Scones are British-inspired light and fluffy pastry triangles made with oatmeal or wheat flour as the base, baking powder, and other ingredients based on their flavor. Butter is a key ingredient in scones that make its consistency so pleasing to the tongue. The pastry glistens because egg wash sometimes goes on top before baking. Some scones are even topped with a light glaze for added sweetness. Popular flavors include lemon, strawberry chocolate, cranberry orange, and many more.
4. Petit Fours
Petit fours are small French pastries that translate to mean “small oven”. Many types of parties fall under this classification like macarons, duchesses, and palmiers.
Macarons may be one of the most popular of petit fours, which are made with egg whites and almond flour for their lightly crunchy texture. Some nut-free recipes for consumers with nut allergies may substitute almond flour with powdered sugar or all-purpose flour.
5. Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies come in an array of delicious flavors with the most popular ones being raspberry, lemon, and cherry.The baker adorns the sugar cookie dough base with sparkling sugar before placing their thumbprint in the middle of each one. They then fill the thumbprints with a sweet fruit curd. When paired with the right tea, a thumbprint cookie can be a great addition to your afternoon tea. Some recipes even come infused with tea for an earthy flavor.
Conclusion
With so many pastries that can complement an afternoon tea well, your next afternoon tea can be a delicious adventure. Try one or more of these pastries today!
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