An important distinction to note: in Australia what we know as "High Tea" is actually "Afternoon Tea" in its home country of England. From the late 1800s, Afternoon Tea was a meal for the upper classes taken around 4pm, pre-promenading, cards, theatre, or other social occasions, to bridge the gap between lunch and a later dinner. The middle and lower classes had a more substantial "high" tea later in the day, around five or six o’clock, in place of a late dinner. Something to keep in mind if you're inviting along an English friend, or looking for a High Tea in England!
The exact origin of High Tea is unclear, but credit is largely given to Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, in the late 1800s, who remedied her "sinking feeling" in the afternoon with tea, bread and butter and cake. The idea went somewhat viral in Victorian-era terms.
Aside from having a selection of loose-leaf teas (no bags!) on offer, here are some of the essential components:
Pretty little cakes
Lemon yoghurt syrup cakes (yiaourtopita)
You'll need individual bundt tins to make these sweet little cakes. They're light and spongey and serve up a triple-hit of zingy lemon elegance: zest in the cake, a lemon syrup soaking, and a lemon juice glaze. Find the recipe here.
Lemon yoghurt syrup cakes (yiaourtopita). Source: Alan Benson
White chocolate butterfly cakes
The shape of these enchanting fairy cakes is made by scooping out little cone-shaped mounds from the centre, slicing the mounds in half, filling the holes with whipped cream and jam, and arranging the slices into "wings".
White chocolate butterfly cakes. Source: Alan Benson
Blood orange tart
A dazzling citrus makes for a dazzling citrus tart. Blood oranges have a richer flavour than regular oranges, with a raspberry-like edge, creating a vibrant, creamy, and luxurious curd. Find the recipe here.
Blood orange tart. Source: Sharyn Cairns
Strawberry tart
Strawberry and pistachio tart.
Watercress, crab and roasted capsicum ribbon sandwiches
No high tea is complete without a ribbon sandwich, so why not go all out and make it one on dark rye bread, filled with cream cheese, watercress, roasted capsicum, black caviar, and crab meat? Find the recipe here.
Watercress, crab and roasted capsicum ribbon sandwiches.
Pickled celery, cress and anchovy butter sandwiches
It may sound like an odd combination of flavours, but these little finger sandwiches are the perfect little ratio of crunch, salt, soft, sweet and fresh, and balance out the other sweet flavours of a high tea. Find the recipe here.
Pickled celery, cress and anchovy butter sandwiches. Source: Sharyn Cairns
Melting moment
A little honey in the biscuit mixture and a little passionfruit in the cream are the sneaky ingredients that make these moments really melt. Find the recipe here.
Melting moments. Source: Harper Collins
Matcha and coconut meringues
Whether you use mascarpone or whipped thickened cream to sandwich these delicate meringues together, these will pop on any plate. If you want to make more of a “green” statement, add a little green food colouring to the meringue mix before you shape it. Find the recipe here.
Matcha and coconut meringues. Source: Leanne Kitchen
Hazelnut and chocolate kiss biscuits
Rich chocolate icing sandwiched by roasted hazelnut shortbread... see how long you can resist dunking these in your tea. Find the recipe here.
Hazelnut and chocolate kiss biscuits.
Leek and bacon tartlets
These tartlets use a homemade yoghurt pastry shell. Adding yoghurt to pastry dough results in a light, crisp, and smooth-tasting pastry shell with a hint of tang—the perfect complement to just about any filling, but particularly leek and bacon. Find the recipe here.
Leek and bacon tartlets. Source: Alan Benson
Mushroom sherry tarts (torteletten mit pilzen)
Earthy mushrooms and the dried fruit flavours of sherry are a classic Spanish combination. Here, the combo gets a German touch with some butter, cream, lemon juice and egg, which is all sauteed together then spooned into pre-baked puff pastry shells—you can use bought puff pastry to keep things simple, as you'll no doubt have your hands full with other High Tea prep. Find the recipe here.
Mushroom sherry tarts (torteletten mit pilzen). Source: SBS Food
Lobster with buckwheat pikelets and avocado
Lobster sounds (and tastes lavish), so is a natural topping along with avocado and a smear of sour cream for these fluffy, nutty High Tea pikelets. You could also substitute picked crab meat, hot or cold smoked salmon or trout, or a fish pâté. Find the recipe here.
Lobster with buckwheat pikelets and avocado. Source: Alan Benson
Stuffed eggs
Stuffed eggs, or "deviled eggs", are a High-Tea tier essential. Use a piping bag with a fluted nozzle, piping out the yolk mixture in a circular motion, to make the decorative rosettes. Find the recipe here.
Stuffed eggs.
Cream scones
These scones use a secret ingredient to make them extra soft, downy and creamy. Find the recipe here.
Cream scones. Source: Pinterest
Strawberry shortcakes
Rather than a jam filling for these shortcakes, strawberries are tossed with the sugar in a bowl and left to sit for 30 minutes to bring out their juices—because there's nothing quite like the burst of fresh berry with smooth, milky cream. Find the recipe here.
Strawberry shortcakes.
Cheesecake with vanilla panna cotta
A good cheesecake makes you feel like you're swimming through cumulonimbus clouds, and this is just that type of cheesecake. Find the recipe here.
Cheesecake. Source: Hardie Grant
Hazelnut meringue layer cakes with coffee buttercream (fragelite)
Hazelnut meringue layer cakes with coffee buttercream. Source: Alan Benson
Chocolate mastiha mousse
Chocolate mousse is inherently elegant in its airy, soft texture. This mousse features mastiha, an exotically aromatic Greek spice with woody cedar notes. It can be found at Greek grocers and online, but if you're in a pinch the best substitute would be vanilla bean. Find the recipe here.
Chocolate mastiha mousse. Source: Helen Tzouganatos
Chocolate swirl meringue kisses with caramel ganache
Chocolate swirl meringue kisses with caramel ganache. Source: Alan Benson
