Afternoon tea feels like a small celebration.The table is set to combine the splendor of fine china with the cozy sweetness of delicate treats wrapped up like little presents that feel festive, organic, and intimate, serving as a lovely backdrop for meaningful conversations. The simple joy of a pot of tea is transformative when you stop to pause. Do you have a favorite menu item that you must have for your afternoon tea? I’d love to hear about it. Please share in the comments below.
Super moist and bursting with fall flavor, these butternut pumpkin muffins are inspired by Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, a beloved local gem known for its artisanal pastry, cakes, and breads. This recipe has become a family favorite, enjoyed not only as muffins but as a travel cake when baked in a loaf pan. It’s perfect with tea, at breakfast, or as a dessert.
Butternut Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from Tartine, by Elizabeth Prueitt.
To make the travel cake variation of this Butternut Pumpkin muffin recipe, lightly butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Prepare the recipe steps for Butternut Pumpkin muffins and scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 325˚F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Remove from oven and cool in pan for 20 minutes.
1 cup + 2 tbsp butternut squash puree, see recipe below for butternut squash purée
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds for topping
Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake paper liners.
Directions:
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice into a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl beat together butternut squash puree, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and salt until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the flour mixture to the butternut squash and mix until smooth. Do not over mix.
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the top of the muffins.
Bake about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan before removing.
Butternut Squash Purée
2 pounds butternut squash
1/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cut the butternut squash into sixths. Put the butternut squash and water in a roasting pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake about 1 hour, it should be soft. Remove the seeds and skin, and purée in a blender until creamy.
This creamy Peanut Butter Tartine is a harmonious fusion of textures and classic flavor combinations. Sweet bananas complemented by fresh seasonal berries layered on a bed of whole-grain bread, slathered with peanut butter, is an irresistible open-faced sandwich that’s both satisfying and nourishing for kids and adults alike.
Peanut Butter Tartine
Servies 1
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 slice of whole grain bread
Toppings:
¼ cup blueberries
½ cup sliced strawberries
1 sliced banana
Directions:
Spread peanut butter evenly over the surface of the whole grain bread.
Arrange the blueberries, sliced strawberries, and banana slices on top of the peanut butter.
This simple torte has the bright floral notes of Meyer lemon zest, enriched with almond flour that gives it a dense richness. Meyer lemons are a hybrid of lemon and mandarin and are less acidic than regular lemons. Living in Berkeley, California, we are blessed to find Meyer lemons in abundance during the citrus season at local produce markets and on trees that grow in almost every neighborhood. Perfect for any occasion, this lemony dessert is delicious when enjoyed with an afternoon cup of tea. Recipeadaptedfrom Sheela Prakash at TheKitchen.com.
Meyer Lemon Torte
Ingredients:
Butter for greasing the pan
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest, or any other type of lemon available
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh berries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Coat the paper and sides of the pan with butter; set aside.
Crack and separate 4 large eggs, placing the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and the yolks in a separate large bowl.
Combine lemon zest and sugar in a separate small bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar using your hands to release the flavor and aroma. Add zested sugar to the egg yolks and stir using a large spoon until well-combined.
Add almond flour, baking powder, and kosher salt into the egg yolk mixture. Stir until the almond flour is combined .
Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Gently fold the remaining egg whites with a spatula into the batter until just combined. Do not over mix. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake until the edges of the cake have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, the top is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.
To serve, run a knife around the cake to loosen it. Flip the cake onto a plate, peel away the parchment. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Creamy Overnight Oats are my new go-to favorite breakfast. This easy to prepare recipe is a nod to comfort food and yet, so healthy for you too. Feel free to add any toppings you like to change up the flavor combinations. I like berries, almond butter granola with Greek yogurt, and lemon zest. Coconut would also work, as would dried cherries with a sprinkle of cacao powder.
Sunset Tea Meditation with Van Van Herbal Tea on New Year’s Eve. Van Van is an herbal infusion that was developed to help clear energy and protect the spirit. An old Hoodoo essential oil blend, Van Van was used to provide magical defense, change bad luck to good, and strengthen amulets and charms. Here’s to drinking more Van Van herbal tea at sunset! Bonne Année!
You’ll swoon over these delicious pecan pie truffles that are haunted by the mocha flavor and crispy toasted pecans. A fresh shot of espresso paired with rich dark chocolate were born to be together. The coffee makes the chocolate flavor jump right to the forefront in these truffles. Making these mocha jewels also offers big rewards with so little effort in the kitchen. If you love pecan pie, coffee and chocolate, this one is sure to satisfy your cravings.
Mocha Pecan Pie Truffles
Ingredients: Yield: 24 truffles
2½ cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 whole graham crackers)
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup brewed espresso
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
chopped toasted pecans or flaky sea salt for topping, if desired
Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Add maple syrup, espresso and vanilla, stirring thoroughly.
Form mixture into walnut-sized balls, then place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours. (I use a small ice-cream scoop to form into the walnut-sized balls.)
Put chopped chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Stir constantly, until chocolate melts.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate, then place onto prepared baking sheet. Top with pecans or flaky sea salt, if using. Allow to sit for 15 minutes or until firm.
Homemade granola is so easy to prepare and it’s always nice to have a batch on hand in my food pantry. This gluten-free granola is low in oil and is lightly sweetened. Enjoy it as a breakfast cereal, or with fresh fruit and yogurt, or simply nibble on it as a healthy snack for a boost of energy.
Almond Butter Granola
Ingredients:
3 cups oats
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil, or olive oil
1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Add the oats, salt, almonds, sunflower seed in a large bowl and stir to combine; set aside.
Place the coconut oil, almond butter, and maple syrup, in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir constantly until smooth and blended together, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the almond butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir until the oats are fully coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
Bake until golden-brown 40 to 45 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet.
This simple tea cake has the bright tangy zip of fresh lemons enriched with a hint of vanilla. The addition of yogurt and olive oil makes the texture of this lemon cake incredibly moist. For an extra deep zesty citrus flavor, brush it with the lemon glaze while it’s still warm from the oven.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon lemon zest (about 3 medium sized lemons) I use Meyer lemons
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
2 large eggs
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup olive oil
Lemon Glaze
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.
Using your fingers, rub sugar with lemon zest and vanilla bean seeds in a large bowl until combined. Add eggs and whisk until pale yellow and frothy. Whisk in the yogurt and olive oil.
Stir in dry ingredients and mix together until incorporated. (A few small lumps in the batter are fine.)
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until top of cake is golden brown, about 50 minutes.
Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and then let cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
In a saucepan bring the powdered sugar and lemon juice to a simmer. Remove from heat and drizzle the lemon glaze over the warm tea cake.
It is not surprising that the most requested recipe from The New York Times dining section is the plum torte by Marian Burros. This classic cake is a perfect way to highlight the summer’s beautiful harvest from my backyard Santa Rosa plum tree. It combines everything I crave in a summer dessert: luscious fruit baked into sweet, tart perfection. The tangy plums, surrounded by buttery cake, taste like soft little pillows of sweetness that are intensified by the oven’s heat, so the flavor of the fruit comes shining through. This torte is a wonderful way to use fruit in season and can be prepared in minutes. The last remaining slice featured in the photo below will be breakfast tomorrow!
Plum Torte
Adapted from Marian Burros.The original recipe calls for Italian prune plums, but feel free to swap them out for Santa Rosa plums, or any other seasonal fruits such as berries, apricots or peaches and you’ll see why it’s so loved.
Ingredients:
1 cupall-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoonbaking powder
1 pinchsalt
¾ cupsugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
10 to 12 plums, pitted and halved lengthwise
2 teaspoonssugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350° F.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and the eggs all at once, and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
Spread the batter into an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan. Arrange the plum halves, skin side up, on top of the batter in concentric circles. Mix together the 2 teaspoons of sugar with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the batter and fruit.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes, and then release the spring and let it finish cooling. Serve.
Carrie Fehr 