Welcome To Lovely Victoriana's Tea Room! Would you care for some tea? Earl Grey or Chamomile? One lump of sugar or two? It was common to have afternoon teas, especially in England, during the Victorian era. Ladies would enjoy hosting their friends by having English Teas in their parlour or in their gardens. Only the very best of their porcelein, china and silverware were used on these occasions and fresh flowers were a must. Garden Teas were an especially elegant occasion because of the surrounding beauty of flowers and greenery. Teas were the perfect occasion for ladies to impress their friends with their proper etiquette and for younger ladies to practice and improve their manners and etiquette. Popular Varieties of Victorian Teas Earl Grey Tea Peppermint Tea Chamomile Tea Green Tea English Breakfast Tea Lady Londonderry Tea Jasmine Tea Other teas made from peels, roots, berries, flowers The Importance Of A Tea Caddy Tea leaves would lose their flavour unless properly and carefully preserved in silver, pewter or tin boxes, kept tightly closed from the air. These tins were often ornately decorated in floral patterns, making them a pleasant and elegant addition to any tea time. Making A Perfect Pot Of Tea First, fill your kettle with fresh, cold water. Put the kettle on the stove and just before it comes to a boil, pour a generous dash of hot water into your teapot. Swirl the water around to warm the pot. (This step ensures that the water stays at boiling point when it hits the tea, promoting the tea leaves to open properly). Spoon one heaping teaspoon of tea leaves for each person and one for the pot, straight into the warmed teapot. Now, pour the boiling water from your kettle over the tea in the teapot. Be careful not to "over boil" your water, as this will result in a muddy brew of tea. Let the tea sit for 3-6 minutes. Stir the tea well and pour into your best teacups. Be sure to use a strainer to catch the leaves. If you take cream or milk with your tea, you should add them to the cup, cold and fresh, before pouring the tea. Recommended Teapots Glazed china Earthenware Scones and jam are a wonderful accompaniment to any tea time. Recipe for scones 1/3 c. butter 1 3/4 c. flour 3 tbsp. sugar 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1 egg, beaten 1/2 c. currants or raisins, optional 4 to 6 tbsp. half and half or milk 1 egg, beaten Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butter into flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in 1 egg, currants and enough half and half so dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 10 times. Roll 1/2 inch thick; cut with round or heart shaped cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; brush with beaten eggs. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes remove immediately. Serves 15. Split scones and serve with butter, jams and jellies. Crumpets are also a delicious addition to your tea time. Recipe for Crumpets � cup warm water (105� - 115�) 2 teaspoons sugar or honey 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 2� cups all-purpose flour or bread flour 1 teaspoon salt � teaspoon baking soda 1� cups milk In a large bowl, stir the sugar or honey into the warm water. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top and let it sit until it bubbles, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and let it sit for about half an hour in a warm place. Grease a griddle or frying pan and the crumpet rings or cookie cutters. Place the rings on the cooking surface and preheat all. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into each 3� ring and cook over medium low heat until set, about 10 minutes. (Avoid cooking them too quickly.) The top should be full of holes when they are done. Remove the crumpets from the rings and brown the other side, if desired, for a minute or so. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve warm with butter and jam or clotted cream and jam. Makes 16 crumpets. Tea Time Sandwiches Every good Tea deserves delicious finger sandwiches. For a proper Victorian Tea, sandwiches would be cut into small squares or triangles, would be thinly sliced, crustless and flavourful. A few popular choices for finger sandwiches would be: Deviled egg sandwiches Cucumber and chive sandwiches Egg salad sandwiches Seafood sandwiches (crab, shrimp, lobster) Salmon sandwiches Chicken salad sandwiches HOME