Enjoy the Simplicity of
A Cream Tea Party

Hostessing a Cream Tea is definitely the simplest tea party to put on. This tea is generally offered as an afternoon tea, but can be used any time you have the ladies over and want to offer a simple yet enjoyable tea.

There are two main types, the Devon or Cornish. But, just like there is some debate about who started the 'afternoon tea' tradition (Anna the Duchess of Beresford or Catherine of Braganza), so there is some debate about what is the proper manner to fix you scone or split.

If you are serving a Devon tea, you will serve scones split in half(plain with no fruits, nuts or anything added to them and never frosted), with Devonshire clotted cream then strawberry jam on top... in that order!

Or...

If you are serving a Cornish tea, you will serve splits(a sweet yeast roll) or scones, split in half, with butter, Cornish clotted cream, and strawberry jam on top... in that order!

Don't be surprised or offended if when enjoying a cream tea and you happen to put your jam on first then your cream, you are told you are 'doing it backwards'!! It is the first inclination of people who were trained or brought up this way to flinch when seeing someone do this.

It is like a knee-jerk reaction ~ they can't help themselves. It would be like Americans watching someone put jelly on their toast first and then put butter on top! It's just not done that way!

So for a Devon(Devonshire) cream tea , your tea party menu will look like this:

Don't have clotted cream for your tea? You have a few options.

First, if you have time you can order it online. If not, some specialty grocery stores or tea shops will carry it.

Secondly, if you have access to fresh milk with the cream still on it, you can try your hand at making some.

Thirdly, if the first two fail or are not an option for you, then just invite the girls for a light afternoon tea.

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