Come to Tea...

One of my beloved memories is having tea with my daughter, Kelly before she started a 12-week chemo regiment.  It was October 2009, the guys were staying at home to watch UK football and it was just me and Kelly.

The food was delicious, but it was the time together that I will always cherish.

Today, I felt like making tea-time desserts and wish I could have you all over to join me.  It would be a dream to have the dear friends that I come to know through blogging partaking of food and lots of wonderful conversations:-D

My inspiration was a pan my sister gave me for one of my birthdays, to make petite fours in my favorite shapes--flowers.

The "little" cakes have a jam middle and a lovely fondant frosting poured over them with a final dusting of edible gold dust.  The other dessert was inspired by my mom's love of lemon.  I baked miniature shortbread cookies cups and filled them with a quick microwave lemon curd.  It was a warm day here in Seattle, but I needed a baking break and by making quick desserts and utilizing the microwave, it was doable!

Petite Fours ~ Yellow Cake with Strawberry Jam
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Queen Guinevere Cake Flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk

3/4 cup Strawberry Jam 

Pour Fondant Icing (compliments of King Arthur Flour)

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray baking pan with a nonstick baking spray.  If you don't have this specialty pan, no worries--you could bake this in a 11" x 17" sheet pan lined with parchment, then sprayed.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract.

Sift the dry ingredients, then, add them alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat 1 minute more.

Scoop about a tablespoon of batter into each opening of the specialty pan or spread entire cake batter into a sheet pan.

Bake about 10 minutes (sheet pan will probably go more like 15 to 18 minutes).  Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, then invert pan and cool cakes completely.

When cooled, use a serrated knife to slice in half, then spread with about a 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry jam (you could also use raspberry), preferably homemade.

Make up pourable fondant frosting and I used a squeezed bottle to cover the little petite fours with.

Any drippings of frosting can be put back into the bowl, mixed together and used again!

 As a final touch, I used a little edible gold dust (available at specialty food stores) and dust the flowers.  This recipe made 40 little cakes.

 Shortbread Cookie Cups with Lemon Curd
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. Lemon Juice Powder
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a miniature muffin pan with a baking spray. Set aside

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter.  Add the confectioners' sugar and beat to combine.  Add the lemon juice powder (or 1 tsp. Vanilla extract) and beat again.  Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough comes together.

Scoop up about a teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball.  Place one ball in each muffin opening.

Use a pastry tamper, dipped in flour (tap excess off) to create the cookie cup.

Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool slightly and then use an off-set spatula to lift the cups out.

Let cool completely.  I suggest you make up the Quick Microwave Lemon Curd earlier so it can be chilled before spooning into the baked cookies cups.

The cakes baked for 10 minutes and the cookie cups for 9 minutes; I didn't want to heat up my kitchen with elaborate desserts.

 If I had thought about it, I would have bought some red raspberries to place on top of the lemon curd tarts, whipped up some heavy cream and added a dollop, or as my mother would have liked them with a little dab of meringue, toasted with my kitchen torch.

Having tea with a special friend, sister, daughter, or mother is a memorable experience--one I hold dear to my heart. Enjoy!