How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? At home, we love to serve a traditional menu with corned beef and cabbage, soda bread and Irish apple cake. At the Cottage, however, we put a tea spin on our menu. If you are thinking of having an Irish tea to celebrate the day or even the week, read on for some inspiration for appropriate savories and sweets, as well as tea blends to compliment your fare.
Tea Sandwiches and Savories
Serving flavors from Ireland is a must. Incorporating these staples into a tea menu can be challenging but fun. We always strive for an assortment of savory items, a nice balance of hot and cold. A shamrock shaped tea sandwich, maybe cucumber or a chicken salad, is the perfect way to start. We have had our shamrock stems break when working with soft bread, so if your cutter has a narrow stem try using a paper straw instead. These come in a variety of colors and patterns so you can choose a design that is elegant or simple. Even a popsicle stick can work. There is something so satisfying about eating a sandwich on a stick. Other savories that would be authentic are some pasties, potato soup or mini potato pancake and perhaps a roll-up with a green spinach filling.. Try balancing your savory course with a nice cup of Irish Breakfast tea that is bold and malty. This blend is perfect with a little demerara sugar and some whole milk.
Scones and Breads
When it comes to scones, nothing beats Irish soda bread flavor. If you prefer your soda bread in a loaf, then a nice Barmbrack flavor would also be appropriate. Barmbrack is a traditional Irish bread made with black tea, cinnamon and fruit. Inspired by this flavor, we recently created a Barmbrack Tea that is simply divine.
Sweets and Dessert
Traditional Irish deserts might contain apples, rose water, chocolate, whisky or stout. A nice Guiness chocolate cupcake with a Baily's Irish Buttercream is hard to beat. Sweet little apple tarts with rose water can be made in miniature form for a bite sized treat and buttery Irish shortbread is a must. Chocolate whisky truffles that melt in your mouth are a great way to finish off your desert course. To compliment your desert selection, we have a nice Apple Irish Rose blend that has a rooibos base and gold flakes, so you won't have to go chasing after the rainbow. Instead, when you are done with your teatime, you can just sit back and relax and try playing some of the games at the following link for additional fun with your family or friends. 22 Virtual St. Patrick's Day Ideas, Games & Activities for 2022 (teambuilding.com)
