The Tea Experience, the latest publication from TeaTime magazine, offers a smashing array of recipes and images from tea rooms across the country that would make even the Queen herself drool (if Queens actually did such things). It’s a bit heavy on the Southern tea establishments (13 reviews to 5 actually) as the majority of the travelogues do seem to reside in the lower 48 states, but they did include a lovely write-up on the Martin House Inn in Nantucket. We’re big on tea in New England too, you know! It might have something to do with that whole fancy “Tea Party” that happened in Boston Harbor a few hundred years ago…
This elegant book is the perfect gift for your favorite tea aficionado or maybe even your foodie office mate. Each tart, scone, and savory quiche recipe turned my thoughts to envy as it occurred to me that I’ll never be able to pull off such a decadent display even if Martha Stewart held me at spatula point.
When I was a kid, tea parties were totally my thing. I’d line up dolls and stuffed animals around the coffee table and serve each liberally from my Fisher Price tea set. Through the wonders of google I can assure you that the image to your left is exactly what “little Erin” used to force feed tap water and Ritz crackers to a wide array of stuffed cats and Cabbage Patch kids. Obviously Ritz crackers aren’t going to cut it in the Hors D’oeuvres and Canapés department anymore so I decided to give the White Chocolate Raspberry bars, as featured in the section detailing The Ladies of Lucerne Tea Room, a go.
Tea is a leisurely activity, and honestly this is a leisurely (read time consuming) recipe. Thankfully these sinful bars taste so amazing (how can you possibly go wrong when your main ingredients are a stick of butter and almost a pound of white chocolate slathered in Raspberry jam) that you forget all about slaving over a hot stove the moment you take a bite. I paired mine with a piping hot cup of Raspberry Early Grey and promptly died and went to heaven. Now that’s what I call a “tea experience!”
 Chop |
 Beat Eggs |
 Add Sugar |
 Divide Chocolate |
 Melt |
 Mix the Batter |
 Bake Layer #1 |
 Heat Jam |
 Mix in Chocolate |
 Evenly Spread the Jam |
 Layer with Batter & Almonds; Bake |
 Tea Time! |
White Chocolate Raspberry Bars
Makes 12 Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 (12 ounce package vanilla milk morsels or 2 (6-ounce) packages white baking bars, chopped and divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon amaretto liqueur or almond extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Garnish: fresh raspberries
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 9-inch square pan.
2. In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add 1 cup vanilla milk morsels. Let stand; do not stir.
3. In large bowl and using electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until lemon-colored. Stir in butter mixture. Add flour, salt, and amaretto; mix at low speed until just combined. Spread half of batter (about 1 cup) in pan. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. In small saucepan over low heat, melt jam. Spread evenly over warm, partially baked crust.
5. Stir 1 cup vanilla milk morsels into remaining batter. Gently spoon teaspoonfuls of remaining batter over jam. (Some jam may show through batter). Sprinkle with almonds.
6. Return to oven; bake additional 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Garnish serving plate or individual bars with fresh raspberries, if desired.
(Originally posted on the Well Fed Network’s blog A Nice Cuppa)