Tea Party!

Abby and I hosted a tea party for Neko and Celeste last night! This dinner date was a big hit, if for no other reason than the toddlers loved using the tea set. The food went over pretty well, too! We rounded this menu out with cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, but I'm not including a recipe - they're pretty self-explanatory! (neither girl really liked them, anyway)

Scones and Finger Sandwiches

Roasted Vegetable Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter (cold and cut into pieces)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (skim worked fine)
3/4 cup diced roasted vegetables
(I diced up some peppers, onions, carrots, and squash - tossed them in a little olive oil and roasted at 400F for about 20 minutes. What I didn't need for these scones, I scrambled into eggs for breakfast. Yum!)

Preheat oven to 425F. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the pieces of butter on top and pulse about 20 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour the flour-butter mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the egg, milk, and vegetables until a dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smoother dough forms.

Split the dough in half; shape each half into a 6-inch disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges and place each wedge on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until scones are beginning to turn golden.


Peanut Butter Bread
(for making the ultimate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!)

7 oz milk, slightly warmed
2 oz water, at room temperature
1 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup natural-style peanut butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, stir together the milk, water, and yeast. Whisk in the peanut butter and brown sugar until the peanut butter is fully mixed in. Stir in the salt and flour with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough comes together.

Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding tiny amounts of water or flour as needed (if your dough is too sticky, knead in flour, about one teaspoon at a time. If your dough is too dry and stiff, wet the palms of your hands to knead in a tiny amount of water. A little goes a long way!).

Grease a large bowl with non-stick spray. Put the kneaded dough ball inside, rolling it around to grease the dough lightly. Set aside in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours. Punch down and shape the dough into a loaf. Set inside a loaf pan and let rise for about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until it sounds slightly hollow when tapped and is nicely browned on top. Add peanut butter and jelly for the yummiest pb&j in town!

Banoffee Bars

(these couldn't be easier or more delicious!! No sugar needed in the crust or whipped cream - the toffee center is sweet enough!)

14 oz can condensed sweetened milk (fat free worked great!)
5 sheets of graham crackers
1/2 cup rolled oats
4 Tbsp butter, melted
bananas
1 cup heavy cream

Caramelize your condensed sweetened milk: Preheat oven to 425F. Pour the milk into an pie pan and cover tightly with foil. Set the pan inside a larger baking dish, and fill the larger dish about halfway with hot water (creating a water bath). Bake for about 45 minutes, until the milk has caramelized and turned thick. Let cool a little.

Lower the oven to 325F. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and oats together until finely ground. Pour crumbs into an 8-inch square baking dish. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir together, then press the crust evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for about 5 minutes, until golden.

Pour the toffee filling over the hot crust. Top the toffee with thinly sliced bananas. Refrigerate until chilled. Whip the heavy cream and top each bar with a little whipped cream.