Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tea party details

For today's tea party wrap-up, let's begin with a few words about ... cupcake wrappers! I learned of these through the Paper Orchid stationery website but they were offered only in large quantities at the time. I fell in love with the teapot wrappers and eventually found some on eBay for about $12 a dozen, and I'm happy to see Paper Orchid now sells them in smaller quantities as well. They also have cake wrappers that work in a similar fashion, and I just *love* these elegant paper accessories. (I do wish I'd made my cupcakes taller, because I misjudged the height I needed, but the effect was still pretty good for a first-timer!)

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes: There are a variety of recipes online, but I didn't find one that was just what I wanted. Instead, I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe (for 12 cupcakes) and added a single, small packet of Pink Lemonade Kool-Aid powder mix to the batter. I purchased white frosting in a plastic can and likewise added a single packet of the Kool-Aid to it as well. Pretty and pink and easy!

Homemade Sugar Cubes: Sandra and Beth have had these before, but I didn't realize they were new to my friend Liz. Couldn't be easier to make: Take a cup of sugar. Add one drop of food coloring and about a tablespoon of water, just enough to give the consistency of wet sand. Mix. Pack into those plastic candy molds from Michaels (they're about a dollar or so), and immediately turn out onto waxed paper or a plate to dry overnight. Took me about 20 minutes, start to finish, to make a few dozen of these in yellow and pink. I actually ended up with two sugar bowls on the table (including this vintage vase I used as a sugar bowl) because I made so many of the sugars.

Shrimp Salad: Again, I couldn't find the perfect recipe that used lemon, which I wanted to feature, so I improvised and really liked the result. I made these with the butterfly garnishes using the Pepperidge Farm butter crackers I once wrote about here. Here's the recipe:

Lemon-Pecan Shrimp Salad

1 (14-ounce) bag frozen, pre-cooked shrimp (thaw and remove tails before using, or use equivalent amount of cooked fresh shrimp)
1/2 cup pecans
2 ribs celery
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon each of white pepper, salt and garlic salt, or to taste
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise (just enough to hold mixture together)

In bowl of food processor, add shrimp, pecans and celery. Pulse a few times until pieces are small enough for salad consistency. Pour into mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and combine. Season to taste. Yields approximately 2 cups of mixture.

10 comments:

  1. I like the look of the shorter cupcake showing the teapot cut out
    design border of the cupcake liner.

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  2. I have never seen the cupcake wrappers before. I am so enjoying reading the details of your tea party!

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  3. Oh, Angela! This SO beautiful and so amazing!

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  4. The sugar roses are soo pretty!! And I have been admiring these cupcake wrappers at various weddings over the past year or two. they are so delicate and lacy looking. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!

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  5. Love this!!!! I'm so glad you posted about the sugar. I've done this before YEARS ago & had forgotten all about them & those cupcake holders. I've seen them in magazines, but have not seen them in stores- where did you find them if you don't mind sharing?

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  6. Simply beautiful, Angela! You have, once again, out-done yourself! Loved the photos and the recipes, thanks for sharing,
    Joanie

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  7. Thanks for the salad recipe. I also didn't know sugar cubes were so easy to make; however, I rarely put sugar on the table. Most of the people I serve tea do not use sugar. Loved your cupcake idea too!

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  8. I love the idea for making your own sugars! I found a source when I was writing Tea with a Twist called Fancy Flours. They are really nice to work with and have a ton of baking things including cupcake wrappers. I am not sure if they have teapot ones though. Love your Blog and thanks for sharing!

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  9. Thanks for sharing the details and recipes with us. It's almost as good as being there with you. Wish we could have tea one day.

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  10. Angela, your tea party was lovely. The food looks delicious and so pretty too with the butterfly garnishes, cupcake wrappers, rose sugar, etc. Outstanding!

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