The Journey continues with the Victorian Tea Society…Desserts and Tablescapes

I love all things beautiful. Being around beauty makes me feel special and inspires me. At our Victorian Tea Society teas, we try to create many moments of beauty for our guests. Our tea plates always look so lovely and we try very hard to make them look just perfect. Our dessert plates have been some of my favorite.

Our Victorian Tea Society teas always have 4-5 tea sized desserts.  This amount is not a firm rule although the dessert plate is lovely with 5 items on it.  When it’s my assignment to develop the menu for these large teas, I have to consider carefully what I choose for dessert items remembering that not all the ladies like to bake and that such things as whipped cream do not stand up well when plating and waiting.  Choosing desserts based upon the theme of the tea is fun.  My favorite is the harvest theme with pumpkin and apples.  My opinion is that you always need a chocolate dessert and a lemon dessert, regardless of the theme.  If I have not personally baked a dessert recipe, I always do that before I put it down on a menu.  I have included photos of different dessert plates for your enjoyment.  It’s important when planning desserts to get a variety of flavors plus a variety of baked/sweet items (cake, bars, cookies, candy, trifles, cups).  The Victorian Tea Society membership stays pretty stable so I have learned who our bakers are and who can make a dessert look “pretty.”  Not everyone has the flair of piping icing or decorating cookies.

Menu Cards and Favors

Menu cards and tea favors are a must for teas.  Teas are special and guests always appreciate these remembrances from their special occasion.  In the past, we have had workdays to make tea favors which are always fun for the members.  Nowadays, one of our members takes this on as her special contribution.  Over the years the Victorian Tea Society’s menu cards have become collectibles and serve as a history for our organization.

Tablescapes

 A beautifully set table is also a must for an afternoon tea.  Serving approximately 100-120 guests at each of our teas, we have had to collect many teacups and plates over the years.  Of course, paper plates are not used at teas!  However, with three different courses (scones, savories and desserts) we have had to resort to using pretty clear plastic plates for the scones at some of our teas.  We cannot wash plates fast enough to accommodate three courses using plates.  Since our teas are always themed, our tablescapes always look different.  We try to use cloth napkins but sometimes use pretty paper napkins.  Our tables are set ahead of time with the centerpieces, fork/spoon/knife, napkin, teacup, menu card and tea favor.  Being in charge of table decorations is always a lot of fun and a way to express your creativity.  One of my favorite teas was when members chose to decorate their own table.  What fun and what creativity!