An Herbal Tea

Saturday I ventured North to Paola

to

Fire Lake Camp

Where theyt do Farm Dinners

And Herbal Teas

It was supposed to be in the garden

But the weather has turned warm on the prairie

And so it was moved inside.

One of the tables of ladies . . .

Who enjoyed herbal tea treats

From

Radish Sandwiches with tarragon butter and salt

Cucumber sandwiches with chive cream cheese

Tomato sandwiches with pesto mayonnaise

Freshly baked scones with blueberry basil jam

Chocolate Dipped Mint Shortbread

Lemon Thyme Rose and Lavender Glazed Cake

And tea -- lemony iced tea

tea steeped with lemon verbena

It was a fun afternoon

And I was only too happy to share my herbal tea treats

With the guests at Fire Lake Camp.

And the recipes, oh, the recipes

I promised that I would post here . . .

At LInes from Linderhof

Sandwiches

For the radish ones, I mixed tarragon with unsalted butter and spread that on 7 grain bread, cut into fingers, I topped each finger with 3 thinly sliced radishes and sprinkled with sea salt.    For the cucumber ones, I mixed chives with cream cheese and spread that on white bread, cut into squares, I topped each square with a cucumber slice and a sprinkle of garden chives.   For the tomato ones, I mixed mayonnaise with my homemade pesto and spread that on a half of a ciabatta roll and topped with half a cherry tomato which I sprinkled with salt.

Scones

(My adaptation of Ina Garten's strawberry scones)

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended.  The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.

Chocolate Dipped Mint Shortbread

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. plus 1 T. butter

1 1/2 c. flour

2 T. finely chopped fresh mint

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 350

Combine the icing sugar and butter and mix well.    Stir in the flour and mint.    Knead the dough gently a few times on a lightly floured surface.    Chill for approximately 15 minutes to firm the dough a little.

Roll the dough out to approximately 1/4 inch thickness.    Cut the cookies out with any shape cookie cutter you wish.    Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cookies are a pale golden color.    Drizzle the melted chocolate on top with a fork and cool on racks.

Lemon Thyme Rose and Lavender Glazed Tea Cake

3 T. buttermilk

3 eggs

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. sifted cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 T. lemon zest, finely chopped

2 T. fresh lemon thyme, finely chopped

3/4 cup plus 1 T. butter an room temperature

6 T. sugar

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1 T. fresh lavender flowers, crushed

1/2 c. unsprayed edible rose petals

Preheat the oven to 350.    Grease and flour an 8 x 4 loaf pan or a 9 to 20 inch cake tin.

Combine the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl.   Combine the cake flour, 3/4 c. sugar, baking powder, salt in a large mixing bowl.    Add the lemon zest and lemon thyme,   Blend the dry ingredients.    Add the butter and half the egg mixture.    Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.    Turn the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.    Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add the remaining  egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.    Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes in a round pan, 10 to 15 minutes longer in a loaf pan.    The cake is done when a toothpick or knife inserted in it comes out clean.    Cover the cake lososely with some buttered foil or parchment paper to prevent overbrowning after it has been in the oven for 30 minutes.

Shortly before the cake is done, prepare the glaze.    Combine the remaining sugar, lemon juice and rose petals in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely, approximately 5 minutes.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven place the pan on a rack to cool.    Poke the cake all over with a skewer and brush with half the glaze.     Cool for 10 minutes.    Loosen the sides of the cake with a spatula ad invert it onto lightly greased cooling rack.    Poke the bottom of the cake with the skewer, brush with glaze and flit the cake back over onto the rack.    Brush with the remaining glaze and allow the cake to cool completely.     Serve at room temperature.    This cake will keep for up to a wee in the refrigerator or 2 to 3 days at room temperature.

It is Tuesday and I'm sharing my Herbal Tea with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday and Marty at A Stroll Thur Life for Inspire Me Tuesday.