Planning a Fall Cocktail Party

A few weeks ago I had a pretty epic fall themed cocktail party. Of course, this involved several weeks of planning and thinking about fall flavours, colours, and decor. But that is just up my alley. Though autumn is at its end, it doesn't mean that you can't sneak in a final farewell party! The following includes some tips for your own fall themed cocktail party!

Decor & Music
Decor and music are important for setting the mood for your fall themed cocktail party. For my party I stuck with traditional fall colours of orange, red, yellow, gold and brown. A simple way to add pops of colour are through centrepieces and flowers. Get a few nice autumn bouquets and divide them throughout your space in mason jars. For other decor, consider fall gourds or pumpkins, real or otherwise. My party was later in the season, so I opted for DIY paper pumpkins and paper leaves. I also made a great sign for the main space near the food that said Fall In Love! Cute, right? To customize your party further, use chalk boards- they are your friends. I used them throughout the party space and one for a drinks menu board.

For music, it helps to choose a specific genre. Old soul that I am, I stuck with Frank Sinatra-esque 40s style jazz. What a better time for jazz than a cocktail party? Here are a few favourites from my playlist:

• They All Laughed- Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong;
• (Love is) The Tender Trap- Frank Sinatra;
• You Make Me Feel So Young- Beegie Adair;
• L-O-V-E- Nat King Cole; and
• Nobody but Me- Michael Bublé.

Drinks
What's a cocktail party without drinks? For a cocktail party, stick to a few signature drinks. This will make your life easier and make production of the drinks much faster. I had two signature drinks at my party, but the one that kick started my fall party theme was wassail. I know, I know. What's that? Let me explain. Very simply, wassail is a fancy old fashioned name for an apple cider drink with mulled spices, cranberry juice, and orange slices. It is super quick and easy to make- I just throw it into a crock pot (put the mulled spices in a cheese cloth bag for easy removal) and let everything steep together for a few hours, which allows the spices to mix through properly. Although it is great without alcohol, I also made a version spiked with a bit of rum- delish! What's better than a warm drink for a crisp autumn evening?

Appetizers
For appetizers, make sure to have a mix of both hot and cold options. For an appetizer-only party, aim to have approximately 18-20 pieces per person. I know it sounds like a lot, but you never know how hungry people will be- with alcohol in the mix, this may make people a bit more snackish. Anyways, I got this rule from Martha, so who's going to refute her wisdom? Not I. My appetizer spread included:

• Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Dip;
• An antipasto board with meats, cheese, crackers and dried fruits;
• Focaccia bread;
• Crudités;
• Sweet potato chips and popcorn;
• BBQ Brown Sugar Meatballs (my fave!);
• Shrimp;
• Cocktail Sausages; and
• A mix of savoury puff pastries and quiche.

Dessert
Here is the fun part- dessert. I invested most of my time and effort into an awesome dessert table featuring fall flavours. Most of the desserts were homemade, for which I spent several days with my fiancé baking! Our dessert table included:

• Maple Cake;
• Pumpkin Bread;
• Molasses Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and brown sugar glaze (the star of the evening);
• Hazelnut Pistachio Cake;
• Snickerdoodles;
• Profiteroles;
• Chocolates and
• Grapes and clementines.

Well that's a run down of my recent fall cocktail party! It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and definitely delicious! Whether for a small group or 50 of your closest friends, with a bit of planning and some creativity, you too can have a fabulous autumn party!

Newfie Raisin Tea Biscuits

Growing up in Newfoundland, my family's British roots have always kept me closely tied to British fare and custom. In particular, I have developed a passion for the art of tea (you've noticed the blog name, right?). Creamy linens, dainty doilies, beautiful floral china, exquisite desserts and of course hot tea, contribute towards a supreme elegance and sophistication that can't be beat. Not surprising that I was the kid with the cute pink Fisher Price tea set, which I would use for make-believe tea parties, and the one that would idolize my mom's Lavender Rose Royal Albert floral mug, which we still have in the kitchen. Of course, I've tried afternoon tea at the Fairmont Banff Springs, set before the incredible mountain view, and bought pearls for the occasion. After years of reading about tea customs and recipes, I can't help but cringe when someone mixes up afternoon tea and high tea, which are soo not the same thing. Taking it a step further, one of my guilty pleasures when visiting someone's house is to check out their buffets for fancy china and serving ware. I am nothing but extremely dedicated.

Whether engaging in a quiet moment, a small gathering with friends, or a more elaborate social affair, tea time can be easily adapted to fit within the confines of our seemingly hectic lives, whether for 10 minutes or 2 hours. What sounds nicer than sipping a cup of earl gray, eating a flaky tea biscuit and cosying up with a good book? Absolutely nothing.

What are tea biscuits, you ask? Traditional tea biscuits are butter and flour-based treats, either plain or filled with dried fruits. In my house, tea biscuits included a lot of raisins and were warmed and buttered (you can never have too much!). Slathering them with jam is also divine.

In the spirit of tea time, here is a basic tea biscuit recipe that I have been baking (and eating!) since I was a kid, with a few tweaks. These flaky, buttery biscuits are given more dimension through the addition of lemon zest, which adds a bright flavour while honouring the traditional biscuit base. Lightly kneading the dough will help to create all of the flaky goodness. I've made these tea biscuits a bit daintier for tea time, but if you want a larger biscuit you can increase the diameter of the biscuit cutter and adjust the cooking time accordingly.

These Newfie Raisin Tea Biscuits can stay fresh in an air-tight container at room temperature for approximately 2 days, and can be frozen for up to a month. You can also prepare the dough a day in advance and bake the next day, for days where time is short but you want to bake to impress. They are best when warm, so if eating them later on I'd recommend slightly warming them up! Also, if you're feeling adventurous, you can try dunking your biscuits in your tea. I'm not judging.

Newfie Raisin Tea Biscuits
Makes about 16, 2.5-inch diameter tea biscuits

Ingredients
3 3/4 cups flour
8 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
1 1/8 cup of butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup of raisins
4 tablespoons of lemon zest (approx. 4 lemons needed)
1/2 cup of evaporated milk (I used 2% partly skimmed)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the butter into small cubes. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and butter. Use a dough blender or two knives to fully combine the ingredients.
3. Measure and add the raisins and lemon zest to the dry ingredients and mix through.
4. Add the remaining ingredients: evaporated milk, eggs (beat them quickly with a fork), and vanilla, and mix until combined. Use your hands to roll together all the ingredients to form a good dough. If your dough is too soft, put it in the fridge for approximately 15 minutes before cutting. The goal is to keep the dough at room temperature or colder.
5. Pour the mixture onto a wax paper-lined surface lightly coated with flour and use hands to roll dough out to an approximately 1-inch thick disk, pushing dough from the centre out. Use flour-coated biscuit cutters (or in a pinch, a glass!) to cut out the tea biscuits, carefully pulling the shapes out and placing them onto the baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. Do not twist the cutter or your biscuit shapes will tear.
6. Re-roll the scrap dough and repeat the biscuit cutting process, re-flouring the cutter when required.
7. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and cook tea biscuits until golden brown, approximately 18-22 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the biscuits or they will be a bit dry.

Get a cup of tea and enjoy!

Easy Peasy Homemade Lemonade

Easy peasy lemon squeesy... That's what you'll say about this homemade lemonade recipe! The weather has started to become muggy and hot, and there is always a need to beat the heat. One of the best ways is with a cold summer drink, and my favourite is homemade lemonade. There is something incredibly refreshing about lemons, which I try to incorporate into many of my summer treats. Recently I made a delicious no bake lemonade cheesecake and zingy lemon squares, which were simply divine.

My no-fail yearly summer treat is making homemade lemonade. I discovered this recipe many moons ago while watching a childhood show 'Zoom' on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (yes, I am a nineties child), which was my preferred station growing up. It was a great show for the fact that it encouraged children to be curious and engaged with the world through a variety of topics, and included science experiments, and my favourite, Cafe Zoom, where kids would make their own recipes with instructions to replicate at home. I remember being proud as a peacock making my very own lemonade that even impressed my mom...

Many years later, this recipe has become a family favourite and a summer must have. Simple to make, and refreshing, it is a go-to in the hot summer months. I LOVE pulp in my juice, so I keep the lemon pulp in the recipe to add more flavour, but it is entirely up to you. You can even freeze the lemonade for ice cubes if you want to bring it outside in the heat, which is much better than diluting it with normal ice cubes.

Accompany the lemonade with a nice picnic lunch or a scrumptious dessert, or just sip a cool glass while reading your favourite summer book (mine is the White Princess by Philippa Gregory!).

Serve with a slice of lemon, mint, or some berries for a splash of colour, and easy peasy lemon squeesy! A drink to impress your guests, or just yourself!

Easy Peasy Homemade Lemonade
Makes approx. 2L

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh lemon juice (approx. 4 lemons)

6 cups of water

1 cup of sugar, plus additional to taste 

1. Juice  lemons and place the juice in a pitcher. Add the pulp of the lemons if you prefer (I do!).

2. Add 6 cups of water.

3. Add 1 cup of sugar, plus additional to taste depending on your preferences and the level of tartness of the lemons. 

4. Stir together and chill for at least 2 hours.

5. Serve with a fresh slice of lemon, lemonade ice cubes, mint, or fresh berries.

Stay cool!