Baby Shower Tea

By Jeanne Benedict

Celebrate the mom-to-be with an elegant Baby Shower Tea. With designer teas available in flavors like Chocolate and Roses Rooibos and French Lemon Ginger, your home party will feel as if you are dining in world-class tea room. Complement your tea with an inventive menu featuring Miniature eclairs with Crab Salad or Pencil Asparagus and Prosciutto Sandwiches. Top it all off with adorable baby shower cupcakes to delight the guest of honor in sweet style!

Food and Recipes

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Miniature eclairs with Crab Salad

Rich Crab Salad Filling.

Ingredients

4 large eggs
1 Cup canned crabmeat
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon minced chives plus chive stems
1/4 Teaspoon salt
Savory Éclair Shells (recipe below)

Steps

Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then continue to cook the eggs for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
When cool to the touch, peel eggs and finely chop. Add eggs and crab to a mixing bowl. Stir in Mayonnaise, chives and salt until combined. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, slice an eclair in half lengthwise and spoon crab salad on bottom eclair half. Place top eclair half on crab salad and serve immediately.
Makes about 2 cups

Savory eclair Shells

For a gourmet taste and presentation.

Ingredients

1 Cup flour
1 Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Cup water
6 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
1 lightly beaten egg

Steps

Preheat oven to 425F. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Combine water and butter in a small pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and dump the flour mixture in all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon or paddle to incorporate.
Return the pot to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute. The mixture will form a ball and coat the pan with a thin film.
Transfer the dough into a bowl and stir for a minute to release some of the heat. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring each one to fully incorporate before adding the next. Stir vigorously until thickened.
Fit a pastry bag with a wide round tip and fill with the warm dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Pipe 2-inch long mounds about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Brush mounds with lightly beaten egg using a pastry brush. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and puffed. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Turn off oven and allow the eclairs to dry for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use immediately or when cool.
Makes about 18 eclairs

Pencil Asparagus and Prosciutto Sandwiches

The saltiness of the prosciutto is the perfect complement to asparagus.

Ingredients

24 stalks pencil asparagus
12 Slices of egg bread
butter, softened
1/2 lb. Prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 Cup Boursin or a soft, creamy cheese

Steps

Trim asparagus tips to 2-inches in length. Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring water to boil. Add asparagus tips and cook for 1 to 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and set tips aside; cool completely.
Trim crusts off bread and cut slices into 3-inch squares. Cut each square in half making rectangles. Spread a thin layer of butter on bread. Place a slice of Prosciutto neatly on buttered rectangle.
Fit a pastry bag with Boursin. Pipe a line of Boursin lengthwise on the Prosciutto. Place an asparagus tip in the Boursin. Chill until ready to serve.
Makes 24 pieces

Herb & Cheese Diamonds

Fresh herbs are the secret to this easy yet impressive appitzer.

Ingredients

1/4 Cup minced Watercress leaves
1/4 Cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 Cup minced fresh basil leaves
16 thin slices white bread
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon white pepper
3 oz. Port Wine Cheese, softened
1/2 Cup (@ 4 oz.) Mascarpone cheese, softened (see note below)
5 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced

Steps

Recipe from the book Celebrations by Jim McCann and Jeanne Benedict
Preheat oven to 350F.
Toss together watercress and 2 tablespoons parsley in a small bowl until combined. In another small bowl, toss together basil and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley until combined. Set aside.
Cut 2 x 3 inch diamond shapes from bread slices using a diamond shaped cookie cutter or a sharp knife. Brush both sides of diamonds with melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toast for 4 minutes until light brown.
Remove from oven and spread 1 tablespoon Port Wine cheese per diamond over 8 diamonds. Spread 1 tablespoon Mascarpone cheese per diamond over remaining 8 diamonds. Sprinkle watercress mixture over Port Wine diamonds and basil mixture over Mascarpone diamonds. Or, make a design with herbs such as stripes across diamond. Garnish with cherry tomato slice in center of diamond. Arrange on a tray and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Note: Mascarpone Cheese is usually available at Italian delicatessens. If unavailable mix together 1/3 cup cream cheese with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon heavy cream until blended. Makes 1/2 cup mock Mascarpone cheese.

Cucumber Wrapped Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Rolls

Reminiscent of English tea sandwiches, this appitzer will wow the crowd.

Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) package Cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon capers
1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
6 oz. cold-smoked salmon or lox, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced lengthwise
16 dill sprigs for garnish

Steps

Recipe from the book Celebrations by Jim McCann and Jeanne Benedict
Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, capers and dill until combined.
Cut salmon into 1 x 4 inch strips. Trim cucumber slices to same size as salmon strips. Lay salmon strip on top of cucumber strip. Place 1/2 teaspoon cheese mixture on one end of salmon strip. Roll up strips, enclosing cheese inside, starting from cream cheese end. Secure roll by spreading a dab of cheese on loose end of strip and in between salmon and cucumber strips. Press to adhere end to roll (optional: insert wooden pick through roll to secure end).
Set rolls on end or cream cheese side up on a serving tray. Place a small dill sprig on cream cheese and serve. May be made 1 day in advance if covered in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Makes 4 servings

Tips

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Baby Shower Tea Invitations

Send a formal invitation in the mail to get guests excited about the baby shower and set the tone for the event.

List both a phone number and email address for an RSVP.

Let everyone know where the mother is registered for gifts by inserting a card or line on the invitation.

If money or a donation is preferred, do not list a gift registry location. When people contact you to RSVP and inquire about a gift simply say, "A donation towards their nursery would be great."

Tea Time Frivolities and Favors

Hire a tealeaf reader for a fun look into the future.

Set up a take-home tea bar with large tins of loose tea that guests can spoon into smaller containers or individual tea filter bags.

Create a favor pack in a teacup all wrapped up with designer sugar cubes, a mesh ball tea infuser and a small decorative teaspoon.

Excellent Blends From Tea Garden

Chocolate and Roses Rooibos
Orange and Spice Cake Rooibos
French Lemon Ginger
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Cinnamon Roll
Vanilla Berry Truffle

Naturally Decaffeinated Teas

Designer Tea for the Mom-to Be Many women avoid caffeine during pregnancy. Luckily, though, some teas are naturally decaffeinated making them ideal for a baby shower tea.

Rooibos - A tea grown in South Africa that has a full-bodied taste and mild aroma. Rooibos is caffeine free, low in tannins and high in antioxidants. Its composition makes it a perfect base tea for mixing in flavorful ingredients such as chocolate, ginger and other delicacies.

Herbal Tea - A combination of herbs, fruits and other flavorings to create a blend called "Tisanes" that is technically not a tea. To be an official "tea" the leaves must be from a Camellia tea plant.

Always check the label or inquire at the tea shop to make sure the tea blend is caffeine free if you have concerns.

Afternoon Tea Menu

Typically, a first course of finger sandwiches and scones with Devonshire or clotted cream is followed by petit fours and sweets.

For a party at home where the host is preparing menu items, serve all of the food at the same time. This way, the host can enjoy the party as well.

Whip up the recipes below for a fancy offering of gourmet bites. Consider purchasing scones, Devonshire or clotted cream and an assortment of desserts to round out the menu.

Embellish desserts with baby-themed accents for a sweet ending to your celebration.

Decorations

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Baby Shower Tea décor

Elegance in White Décor

Keep décor crisp and clean by adorning the tables in shades of white.

Drape tables in sophisticated rental fabrics such as a cream embroidered silk over white tablecloths.

Dress up chairs with sheer fabric wraps or gossamer chair covers.

Consider renting napkins with elegant details such as a hemstitch border.

Create visual interest on the tabletop by using two china patterns in white tones.

Select white flowers arrangements that are low so guests can chat across the table.

Sophisticated Rental Fabrics

Napkins with Elegant Details

White Flowers Arrangements

Baby Shower Roses

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