Come join us for a delightfully wonky Mad Hatter's Tea Party on a sunny afternoon under the pear tree. We're serving summery Strawberry Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches along with a mouthwatering array of sweet and savoury nibbles, and there may just be glimpses of some crazy-hatted guests to be had!
Sunbeams and shadows. Rustling leaves, bright flowers, birdcages. Clocks, clocks, clocks, and colourful paper lanterns. Pink linen, gleaming silver, stacked teacups. Books, rabbits, pastel-painted wooden chairs. Cupcakes, tea pots, and cushions. . .
Are you up for some fun and fantasy? Are you ready to let loose your inhibitions and engage your inner child? Then come and join our Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea Party - or host one of your own!
"There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it . . ." (Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
It's a Mad Tea-Party
Invite your friends, and if they're up for an adventure, as our friends, Nicoletta and Loreto, of the blog SugarLoveSpices always are, you'll have double the fun.
For our Mad Hatter's Tea Party, we choose the shade under the spreading pear tree out on the lawn. The sunlight dapples the leafy bower with sparkles of light. We hang colourful paper lanterns, vintage birdcages, and an assortment of old clocks from its branches. We dress our main table and side table with layered pastel-coloured tablecloths, and we've painted a collection of thrifted wooden chairs in shades of sunshine yellow, rose-pink, leaf-green, and robin's egg blue.
Mismatched Collection
We set the table with a pretty assortment of antique china plates: a luncheon-sized plate on the bottom for the scones and sweets courses with a smaller mismatched bread & butter plate on top for the first course of sandwiches and savouries, a small stemmed glass for the smoothie, and a different, bright-coloured tea cup and saucer for the tea, of course. An antique butter spreader is provided for each guest to spread clotted cream and jam on scones and a small silver teaspoon for stirring tea. At each place setting, a different-coloured pastel napkin has a fresh flower tucked inside the napkin ring.
Wonderland Picnic
This is where you can bring in the fantasy and whimsy. A selection of varying-sized crystal candle holders (all thrifted, of course) holds different-coloured pastel candles, and numerous mini glass bottles contain single flower blossoms. A gigantic yellow teacup sports a stunning bouquet of garden-fresh pink peonies and baby's breath. Fun little accent pieces we've collected are dotted around the table: a rabbit-shaped cream pitcher, ceramic cupcake jam jars, a stack of vintage china tea cups. Somehow, everything works together.
The cozy space under the ornamental pear tree feels like there's a bit of magic happening here. The hanging paper lanterns sway in the breezes, and some of the clocks seem to have a mind of their own as they get just a bit wonky. Time does its own thing in Wonderland. All we need is for a singing bird to land in one of the rustic birdcages hanging with its doors open as a welcome.
Quintessential Quotes and Lively Music
We choose a selection of interesting quotes from Lewis Carroll's Book 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' to print onto coloured cardstock (with hand-drawn borders) and tuck them in around the table.
We bring out a speaker and play this whimsical YouTube medley of Wonderland Afternoon Tea Time music by Bliss Garden in the background. The sparkling notes provide a jaunty touch of brightness and just make me smile.
And Hats, of Course
For a themed Afternoon Tea Party, it's always fun to dress the part. Loreto dons a top hat, waistcoat, and spectacles, so he's our official 'Mad Hatter'!
Delectable 'Mad Tea Party' Food
We have such a great time planning this menu, thinking of quirky dishes that might please the Mad Hatter and his guests. We serve the 'Mad Tea-Party' in the traditional order of a classic afternoon tea, starting at the bottom of the 3-tiered cake stand with the tea sandwiches and savouries, then enjoying the middle layer of scones with clotted cream and jam, and finally we finish off with the sweets on the top tier. Additional dessert offerings are served on other pretty plates around the table.
Mad Hatter's Tea Party Menu
Savouries
Strawberry Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
Hummus, Shredded Carrot & Arugula Tea Sandwiches
Mini Pigs in a Blanket
Scones
Traditional English Scones with
Homemade Vanilla Clotted Cream, Raspberry-Rhubarb Jam, Peach Jam
Sweets
Vanilla Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Flower Frosting
Oat Flour Jam Sandwich Cookies
Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Madeleines
Meringue Flower Lollipops
Beverages
Strawberry Date Olive Oil Smoothies
Earl Grey Tea, Herbal Tea
Delightful Teatime Treats
We start the tea party with a summertime drink:
- Strawberry Date Olive Oil Smoothie - this fresh, creamy smoothie is made from strawberries growing in the patch just beside the pear tree. It's tangy from yogurt and bursting with strawberry flavour, sweetened naturally with dates, and made especially smooth with the secret addition of olive oil.
Then, we enjoy the first course of savourites:
- Strawberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches - these tea sandwiches are fresh and satisfying. Chopped cooked chicken (from a rotisserie chicken) combines with juicy diced strawberries in a creamy herb-scented dressing (tarragon or basil are perfect here). Soft white bread and a chive ribbon make for festive little sandwich parcels.
- Any self-respecting rabbit would love the shredded carrot and arugula, which are sandwiched between hummus-spread slices of whole wheat bread in these tasty finger sandwiches.
- Mini Pigs in a Blanket - Nicoletta and Loreto's savoury mini smokie sausages are rolled up in puff pastry - yum! These flaky, two-bite nibbles disappear off the plate quickly.
The second course of scones:
- Traditional, buttery English Scones are served with homemade Vanilla Clotted Cream (recipe coming soon) and Nicoletta's homemade Raspberry-Rhubarb Jam and Peach Jam.
And the grand finale sweets course:
- Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes (recipe also coming soon) frosted with a veritable garden of blowsy Swiss Meringue Buttercream Flowers in spring colours.
- Oat Flour Jam Sandwich Cookies - crispy cookies filled with more delicious homemade jam.
- Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Madeleines - these soft cakelike French pastries are dipped in white chocolate inlaid with garden pansies - the blue colour is natural, from powdered butterfly pea flowers.
- Meringue Lollipops adorned with fresh flowers - pastel-streaked meringues are piped in circles and baked with lolly sticks, drizzled in white chocolate and bejeweled with a smattering of fresh edible blossoms. These fanciful little whimsies are a delightful addition to a Mad Tea Party. For a holder, we've cut a cantaloupe in half and iced it with swirls of buttercream frosting and flower petals, then stuck the lolly stems into it.
We Love Tea Parties
Collaborating with our friends Nicoletta and Loreto on tea party adventures is such a blast for all of us - we feel just like big kids having fun (and that is definitely a good thing!). The book 'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll has fond childhood memories for both Nicoletta and I, so planning this Mad Hatter's Tea Party was a special joy. We were grinning like Cheshire cats the whole time! And our guys were good sports, getting right into it with us.
Check out Nicoletta and Loreto's blog post at SugarLoveSpices for their photos and story of our tea party and for their recipe for the Mini Pigs in Blankets.
Now Let's Make Strawberry Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
These can be made the day ahead, kept wrapped and refrigerated, then trimmed and cut into fingers before your tea party.
Stir together the creamy dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chopped chicken, strawberries, celery, and chives or green onions. Then spread butter on each slice of bread (it forms a barrier to keep the bread from getting soggy).
Trim off the crusts by holding one hand flat on top of a sandwich and using a gentle sawing motion with a long, serrated bread knife. Cut each sandwich into three fingers (wide and short, rather than long and skinny).
If you wish, you can tie each sandwich with a strand of chive. If the chives are too stiff to tie easily, blanch them for 10 seconds in boiling water, then immediately immerse them in cold water, and then lay them on a tea towel to drain. They will tie easily when blanched.
Once cut, lay the finger sandwiches out on a baking sheet and cover them with a very well-wrung-out, clean, damp tea towel to keep the bread from drying out. Refrigerate until serving time.
Other Afternoon Tea Party Shenanigans
An Afternoon Tea picnic or brunch is a wonderful way to treat yourself and your friends to some special time together. Check out these past themed tea parties we've done for inspiration and many practical tips:
- Bacon-Wrapped Dates and a Moody Magic Afternoon Tea Party (this one was so much fun!)
- Fruit & Flower Almond Cake and a Forest Fairy Afternoon Tea Party
- Cheesecake Cupcakes and a Festive Christmas Brunch
- Raspberry Meringue Kisses and a Dreamy Blue & White Afternoon Tea Picnic
- Butter Pecan Bars and a Glowing Afternoon Tea Picnic in the Orchard
- Gluten-Free Victoria Sponge Cake and a Lovely Summer Afternoon Tea Picnic
- Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwiches and a Perfect Afternoon Tea Picnic
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Guten Appetit!
Strawberry Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients
for the dressing:
- ½ cup (110 g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or basil) or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, optional
for the filling:
- 2 cups (300 g) diced cooked chicken from a rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup (140 g) diced fresh strawberries
- ½ cup (60 g) finely chopped celery
- ¼ cup finely snipped chives or sliced green onions
to make the sandwiches:
- 10 slices thinly sliced firm white bread, gluten-free if necessary
- softened salted butter, for spreading on the bread
- long chive strands to tie decoratively around each sandwich, optional
Instructions
- In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, tarragon, salt, pepper, and poppy seeds (if using) to make the dressing.
- Chop or dice the chicken breast and strawberries into pea-sized pieces. Add them to the dressing along with the finely chopped celery and chives.
- Gently fold the salad ingredients into the dressing.
- Lay out the bread slices and generously butter one side of each slice (this forms a barrier to keep the bread from getting soggy).
- Divide the filling among half of the slices of bread and spread it evenly, leaving about a ¼-inch border, since the crusts will be cut off. Top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered side down.
- At this point, you can trim and slice the sandwiches to serve immediately or wrap them tightly with cling wrap and chill them for several hours or overnight to make them slice more neatly.
- Using a long, serrated bread knife, hold each sandwich flat and trim off the crusts using a gentle back-and-forth sawing motion. Cut each sandwich into 3 rectangular finger sandwiches (short and wide, rather than long and skinny).
- *For a pretty touch, you can tie each sandwich with a long chive strand. If the chives don't tie neatly, blanch them for 10 seconds in boiling water, then dip them in cold water and blot them dry.
- Makes 15 tea sandwiches.
Nicoletta De Angelis
As I was reading and looking back at all the wonderful moments we shared for this tea party, I had a smile from ear to ear. This was so much fun! I loved every detail and every delicious bite. Now, onto our next one 🙂 .