It isn’t a proper afternoon tea without clotted cream. I discovered that it is quite easy to make; it just requires a long cook time. For my first batch, I had great success cooking in the oven for 8 hours, but there is a faster way. For the second batch, I used the “quick” method, which is just 1 hour on the stovetop. With either method, you will still need to chill the cream in the fridge to let it thicken, but overall, the latter method does speed things up considerably.
Whenever I’m at a Thai restaurant and see mango sticky rice on the menu, I will absolutely order it. I doesn’t matter how full I am from eating Khao Soi or Phat See Ew, I will make room. It’s one of my favorite restaurant desserts. The first time I had the dish homemade, my Thai friend from pastry school showed me how. She recommended this brand of Thai sweet rice. Then she used a Thai sticky rice steamer basket to cook it. I didn’t have one, so for my recipe, I used a bamboo steamer basket. Also, I really like the sweet salty contrast in this dish, so I made the coconut sauce a bit on the saltier side. It just has a more intense flavor that I enjoy.
Can’t think of a better way to celebrate the new season of Bridgerton (see my review) than having an afternoon tea party worthy of the ton. All the details for my table are below!
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Bridgerton-Inspired Afternoon Tea Party Menu
Classic British Scones – I used the recipe from London’s Fortnum & Mason. I cut the scones with a 2″ stainless fluted biscuit cutter. A sharp edge is key to ensuring a clean cut and the layers don’t get squashed, resulting in nice, tall scones. I served the scones with raspberry jam and Bridgerton Passion Fruit Curd, a nice change from the traditional lemon curd. It was tangy with just the right amount of zing and so creamy.
Homemade Clotted Cream – It was quite easy to make but had a long inactive time. I halved this oven recipe or alternatively, this stovetop recipe. That yielded plenty enough to fill a 16 oz. bowl.
Shortbread Wedges and Bars – To make them from scratch, inspired by another show set in England, I have my own take on Ted Lasso biscuits recipe here. For a shortcut, this Bridgerton table has cookies made from the Bridgerton Orange Cardamom Shortbread Mix. I made two batches, bars baked in a square pan and wedges baked in my favorite shortbread wedge pan.
Vanilla Earl Grey Quick Bread – I used this Bridgerton Quick Bread Mix. It is my favorite from the collection. The Earl Grey notes go so well with the tea. I drizzled a lavender glaze on top, made with confectioners’ sugar, water, a bit of lavender extract and purple food coloring. Then I garnished with dried lavender flowers.
Earl Grey Tea – I had a wonderful afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason’s Diamond Jubilee Salon last spring and Earl Grey was my tea of choice. They use loose leaf but there are also tea bags. Tea was served in the most beautiful Camelia Teapot but if you want to be true to the Bridgerton theme, there is a show-inspired Bridgerton Floral Teapot.
Rose Lemonade – In keeping with the English theme, I chose UK brewer Fentimen’s brand of drinks that I discovered when I was in London. This is my favorite flavor. The rose is subtle and the pink hue really pops on the table. I served it in glasses with edible flower ice cubes frozen in this silicone tray.
Dinnerware and Serveware:
These are the Floral Dessert Plates on the table, but I also really love this English Floral pattern, produced by English pottery brand Spode, maker of transferware for over 250 years.
Mango pudding is my go-to dessert when I have dim sum in Chinatown. It’s something I’ve eaten since childhood. When the push cart comes around to my table, I always peer inside to search for the dessert, hoping it’s in a heart mold because that’s the traditional shape and my favorite. For Chinese banquets, it’s served in a large format, often shaped like a fish, a symbol of wealth, luck and prosperity. The server will place the dish on the table and then pour evaporated milk on top. I always ask for extra, because I like the pudding drowning in it. Typically the pudding is made from a mix which I don’t mind; I will still order it, but I wanted to create a recipe from scratch.
This recipe is my take on the amazing ice cream pie that was served at San Francisco’s Tartine Manufactory when it first opened in 2016. I posted it once and again and another time just in ice cream form. My love for Concord grapes came from eating this particular dessert. Sadly, a year or two later, they stopped making the pie. I still have such a fond food memory of it, so I decided to make my own and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.
