/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

Just over a month til the Bandai Sailor Moon Noritake cups ship out. I'm working on building a set of mismatched teacups because when I was a kid, my grandma had a mismatched set, all us kids had our "favorite" cup and when she passed we all got one to keep and I want to carry that tradition on. So far I have my grandma's tea cup, a Noritake Kiki's Delivery Service cup I got from the Ghibli Museum and this will be the third addition!

I got really nice Gustav Klimt mini tea tins in Austria, they come in a pack of 4 and are apparently sold in Demmers Teehaus.
I think they do intl delivery from their online store, for all the curious Eurofags

>>8193577
I'm wondering if this is a common gran thing, as I also started to collect tea cups following my nan. I'm far too excited for the Sailor Moon teacup (but that could be said for all the recent sailor moon releases).

Thankfully in my university city, there are a number of teahouses, one with a particularly lovely glass tearoom with some stained glass.

>I'm boring and usually have China Rose Petal tea

>>8193599
>Sorry for the huge image

>saw massive and beautiful tea set at thrift store like 30+ pieces
>40$
>only brought 20$ with me + no room to store it at home

Since then I've been keeping my eyes open for another. I will snag me a cute tea set one day.

>>8193577
>Noritake
Dang that gave me flashbacks to working in the fine china department in the past (along with gift registry)

>>8193618
Would you say you
>only had $20 in your pocket
???

>>8193560
>tfw all your 'tea cups' are technically mugs

favorite tea: PG-tips, black, 2 sugars

>>8193658
I know this feel. People gift me tea mugs all the time, but I'd much rather have cups.

Currently enjoying "blood orange" tea from a local coffee shop.
>black tea
>orange peels
>rose hips
>hibiscus flowers (iirc)

>>8193668
>people gift me tea mugs all the time
Same! Is this a grown up thing? Like relatives don't know what you like, so they give you bath kits for Christmas?

>>8193684
It's an easy gift. Decorative in a shelf, looks nice and "you like tea, don't you?".
It's actually easier to get a nice tea mug than a teacup in a store, that's why we will keep getting mugs.
Also, new trend is gifting tea-for-one sets that are utter bullshit.

>>8193694
Dude, they are. I found a cute one at an antique shop (even though I highly suspected that it was from Borders when they still existed) and the tea pot hole isn't big enough to fit a tea ball in.

>>8193700
Not only this, but they will usually leak at the top lid when you pour the tea in the cup and you can't fill them up properly.
And they are a struggle to clean and handle considering you get two little cups of tea.
Only non-tea drinkers gift these.

>>8193599
But how expensive is the average tea house?

>>8193694
Nice in theory, horrible in practice

Teavana has an amazing Marshmallow Macaron tea and it's so so so gooood.

>>8193733
Seconding. It is a fucking delight.

Another PG Tips fan. I have a silver tea and coffee set that I use daily, both have holes that strain whole or large cut-leaf tea just right, they are balanced and easy to pour from and their spouts do not drip.
Cream, no sweetener.

Any tea snack/sandwich recipes?

>>8193694
Why are they bullshit? They seem spiffy

>>8194030
My favorite is Coronation Chicken Salad. There are a few variations but it was fun to research the original and make a modern version. Very tasty.

>>8194030
I'm still trying to make macarons
I'm still failing

>>8194035
Drippy, cups huge and wide, no room for tea ball in the pot, don't strain loose tea well, lids rattle or flop, often not finished well. Where do you set the pot while drinking if you use cup and saucer?

>>8194046
Wait the pot can't stand on its own? Oh wow

>>8194048
Mine holds up fine, but I do agree with the lid not staying on when pouring tea.

>>8194030
i'm in love with this recipe but failed in the first time I tried to do it.

>>8194040
Don't give, anon! I'm an absolute shit baker but after several batches I managed to get decent macaron shells. The oven temperature and even heating plus knowing when to stop mixing the batter seem to be the keys.

The filling is what's really messing me up. 9/10 times it makes the macaron shells soggy or tastes disgusting.

I found the BraveTart site really helpful for figuring out where I went wrong the first few times, and the recipes worked well for me. None of that aging the eggs or difficult sugar tempering junk.

>>8194048
It can stand but the bottom ring is often unglazed and will scratch a wooden surface. Also if you've poured tea in the cup ten set the pot back on top, the teapot bottom get condensation on it. I had one as a gift once. I gave it away.

>>8194114
*Don't give up

Sorry, on mobile

>>8194030
I'm a huge sucker for cucumber/watercress sandwiches. Tea parties aside, I love making them for lunch on hot days. Simple to make:
>bread of choice (white)
>equal parts softened cream cheese and unsalted butter
>thinly sliced cucumber
>watercress, stems removed and chopped
>salt and pepper
>optional garlic and herb Boursin cheese

Directions are pretty self explanitory. I like to make a spread with the butter, cream cheese, watercress, and seasonings, and then spread that on the bread and add the cucumbers. This way, when I make a spread, I can just store it in my fridge and save time when I want to make more sandwiches. To each their own, though.

>>8194173
I've never tried it with watercress but I have with mint before and it was a hit!

>>8194183
I like to alternate between mint and watercress! They're just such yummy and fresh sandwiches.

>>8194030
Kind of weird for tea parties, but I like buffalo chicken tea sandwiches. They're good for if you're in the mood for something spicey.
>2 boneless chicken breasts or tenders
>1/4 cup light mayo
>3 tbsp buffalo dipping sauce
>1 celery stick
>2 tbsp grated carrot
>3 sliced green onions
>salt, pepper
>squeeze of lemon juice
>2 tbsp bleu cheese (crumbled or dressing)
>rye or whole wheat bread

Pretty easy, treat the chicken like you're making chicken salad. Mix everything but the chicken together to make the spread part. Add the chicken, spread onto the bread.

Sorry, pic related was the only photo I could find.

>>8194173

Those are da bomb. Rosemary and thyme works great as seasoning.

I've always wanted to try making versions of these with salmon and pumpernickel.

>>8193560
I'm English and a milk-no-sugar person but for an everyday tea I don't really care for most of the brands popular here, like PG Tips. I like Twinings' English Breakfast but it's relatively expensive and slow to brew. If I had to pick a popular supermarket brand it'd be Yorkshire Tea, but I always buy fairtrade tea, which, when you're buying the cheaper brands, isn't always great-tasting.

For fancier teas I won't have every day, I love lapsang souchong and rose teas. I drink herbal tea every day (usually chamomile or mint with optional additions like thyme or cardamom, since I'm not a huge fan of aniseedy flavours like in fennel and nettle teas). Green tea, oolong tea, Earl Grey and Lady Grey are all okay but not my favourites, although I keep them around for when I crave them or I'm having a meal I think they go particularly well with. Same with chai, although I wouldn't really consider it a unique tea type since it's just black tea + spices (I like the spicy flavour actually can't stand it made the traditional way my Pakistani relatives make it with the teabag and milk boiled in a saucepan). I also really dislike fruity teas and flavours - most of them are too acidic for me.

Currently on the lookout for a new teapot since I dropped and broke my last one. It's hard finding the perfect size, since I live alone so a huge one will go cold or overbrew, but teapots that only hold one or two cups' worth of tea defeat the point of using a pot, since it'd be more convenient to just make it in a mug.

>>8193684
I get bought mugs a lot too (although I don't mind as long as they have nice designs rather than "comedy" sayings, since I'm constantly breaking and having to replace mugs). Fancy cups are hard to find and harder to buy singly rather than in huge sets.

>>8193709
Agreed.

>>8194030
This ones really easy and its like classy so:
get a bunch of shiny plastic tea spoons like these and then get premade frosting (it has to say "whipped" or else it wont work, strawberry or vanilla is the most lolita imo) and pipe it with a star tip into the spoons and then put like a small piece of fruit like a blueberry or something on the frosting lump and arrange it on a plate. This works with tuna/chicken salad or caviar too just replace the berry with a piece of dill or parsley.

>>8193599
I'm thinking about collecting a mismatched set and using them at a future meet for a picnic. Unless it's too impractical, I wonder if there are any ways to carry and store tea ware if the set is not matched.

I wanted to mention that there is a blogspot dedicated to replicating Panera recipes (it has a bunch of old recipes). I'd share, but 4chan thinks its spam. I thought it'd be something to share for people wanting to do picnics, potlucks, or in-home tea parties since there are a lot of sandwich, salads, and pastry recipes to try.

btw, has anyone actually made one of these? They're cute, but they seem a little impractical. Maybe not too bad for jewelry stands though. idk how often people host in-home tea meets.

>>8194173
>>8194183
>>8194186

>tfw didn't know you could put herbs in to flavour cucumber sandwiches
>have always thought they were bland and uninteresting

Damn, I'm going to have to make this recipe for my comm's next potluck. Every time someone's bought them before they've been pretty tasteless.

>>8194226
Personally, I have an easier time finding single cups, occasionally with a matching saucer, but a difficult time finding complete sets unless I'm willing to shell well over $100 (I don't remember how much my closest tea room sells them for tbh). When I go to thrift shop, I tend to find sets (sans tea pot) that date usually from the 70s or 80s; they're not really all that pretty, but rather have a bland relatively modern design.

>>8194245
Made? You mean a cake stand? You can buy them and they're really common.

>>8194252
I hope your next attempt works out! If anything, follow ck's age old suggestion of salt and pepper.

>>8194264

Oh, I know. I've seen the cardboard ones from Party City (which are surprisingly nice and sturdy). I was just curious.

>>8194274
I know you can make them using like 'antique' plates, it's little annoying, but they generally have them at the place you can buy the plates anyways.

Something I love having with tea are rose petals. I don't even know the proper name, but they are coated with sugar and syrup and are quite delicious, had anyone else tried them?

>>8194271
can you wash these in the dishwater after said design or can you only hand wash them?

>>8193577
Aw! My Grandma did the same thing Anon! My mom and I continue to use them today and everyone once in a while we ad to the collection.

I used to work at a tea shop. It was awesome but the women who owned and managed it had absolutely no idea how to run a small business let alone a restaurant. She started to get cheap with the teas trying to mix her own blends that mimicked the tea company we used. After a bunch of other shenanigans I quit. The plus side of the job was when I could I wore lolita to work. Nothing crazy just a simple black dress, a little petticoat and a bow.

>>8197895
Those are just candied rose petals. I've only ever seen them on cake, do you put them in your tea or eat them?

>>8197895
I'd love to try some, never heard of such a thing

>>8197895
I love them ! Sugar coated petals and dried raisins used to be an elegant snack back in XVIIth and XIXth century, especialy at the theater.

Favourite tea recipe is actually super simple. It's called "fruits déguisés". It's a French tradtionnal snack, supposed to be Christmas-only. It's just dried fruits (apricot or date usualy) cut in half and filled with a bit of marzipan. Delicious.

>>8194216
If you have a Tiger near you they seem to have some decent teapots at the moment. Not sure about the quality and the really cute ones are only one cup ones, but it's worth having a look around. I've seen good ones in Whittards too, but they have good sales fairly regularly so wait for that.

My favourite teapot is actually one of the boots christmas range twinings ones, though, so that doesn't really help.

>>8197895
My grandma taught me how to make candied flowers, you can use a lot of them. I'd help her candy violets and lavender for cookies and whole roses to top cakes with for her bridge club friends. It was like watching some kind of artist at work.

Dark red sugared rose petals are the best in rosehip infused black tea.

>>8198097
>Tiger
Never thought to look there, thanks!
They also sell some decent stroopwafels, since we're talking about snacks

>>8197961
Kind of a stupid question, but where is marzipan usually sold and how can I find it? Is it easy to DIY?

>>8198112
usually in the baking supplies isle at the grocery store.

and i cant remember exactly but its usually just sugar+almonds+some sort of binder (egg whites?)

>>8193577
Holy crap I need this!

>7,776 yen
..... I need this eventually!!

Pic related, this is what I'm after

>>8198112
Yeah it's easy if you have a food processor, it's just almond paste (though it's going to be expensive now because most almonds come from California and they're in a drought right now and almonds need a lot of water.)

>>8198159
1½ cups almond flour/meal (either blanch and grind the almonds yourself or buy almond meal)
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 egg white (or 2 tablespoons corn syrup)
lace the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up. Add the almond extract, pulse to combine. Add the egg white and process until a thick dough is formed. If the mass is still too wet and sticky, add more powdered sugar and ground almonds. Keep in mind that it will become firmer after it's been refrigerated.
Turn the almond marzipan out onto a work surface and knead it a few times. Form it into a log, wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before using in any recipe.
Makes about 12 ounces of marzipan or almond paste

>>8193733
>Marshmallow Macaron tea
>gelatin
fuck everything

I guess I'll contribute with the setup from the last tea I went to!
Sorry for the silly filters.

>>8198590
don't worry I've had it and it's trash. I'm not sure what these anons were drinking but it definitely wasn't that tea

>>8198750

>>8198590
>>8198752

Same, I bought it because I saw "Macaron", but it was... Kinda gross. I ended up giving it to my friend who only drinks really sickenly sweet teas/coffees.
(It wasn't even THAT sweet, it just appealed to the tastes of someone who likes that, I guess.)

My mother bought a tea mix from a woman at a craft festival. It was named "blue mango" and I really want to know what is in it, curious if anyone has a clue?

Also, Czar Nicholas II Premium Russian Tea is the fucking shit, man. It tastes like my favorite hookah flavor and it makes me so happy. It's like...fruity and herbaly and floraly all at the same time. It's perfect.

>>8194082
Did you get any pictures of the horrific results? I love seeing the strange things that come out when people try to make shapes with baked goods.

So an honest question, my girl dresses Lolita at cons and at least once a week has tea and makes it a big thing to her. So me thinking that i should show more interest in her hobbies I want to ask her to tea sometime next week or the week after. So here the problem, I have no idea how to dress for that sort of occasion. Is it formal? Semiformal? Is it dressy or what? anyone care to help a guy out?

>>8198876
It honestly depends on where you go, but an average high tea place I would suppose you wear semi-formal.
There is one local to me that I go frequently with my non-lolita friend because the sandwiches are delicious, everyone there tends to look well put together, but not black tie as such. As long as you look clean and not dragged off the street, you should be fine.

>>8198876
I would say if she wears lolita to the tea, try to at least wear a nice button down, dress pants, and maybe a vest (tie to match her coord, if you want.)

>>8197941
I suppose you can do both, though I've only eat them alone, but I would love to try them on my tea.

>>8194271
I had no idea you could do this, thanks for posting, anon.

>>8199906
For anyone else wondering you use something like Inkjet Waterslide Decal Paper for this. I searched ceramic decals and it doesn't really seem to bring up the right things, but maybe they're all the same as long as you use the coat.

Where do you all buy tea? I'm not a huge fan of the "texture" of Teavana's stuff... I don't know how else to describe it - mouth feel? I don't really like the tea I've gotten from h mart either; I have a tin that I brought back from Taiwan that's getting really low and I'm not sure what I'll do once it's gone.

>>8198750
>>8198753
If I were there, I'd probably embarrass myself by eating all the delicious nibbles.

>>8198097
I have a glass one I got there for 7 euro. I love it, it's actually really well-designed and high quality.

>>8200322
I can't seem to find any aside from the yellow one with a chick on top.

>>8197895
I've always wanted to try those. Bad thing is, you've got to be careful because apparently, there's a possibility of running into flowers grown with pesticides.

I wish my scanner wasn't dumb right now because I have some recipes from the 2nd English GLB, but I'll just transcribe them for now.

Rose Petal Jam
>1/2 Ib. rose petals
>1-1/1 cup of sugar
>3 tbs. lemon juice
>3/4 raw unfiltered honey

In a saucepan, simmer petals in a small amount of water until tender. Add sugar, honey, and lemon juice to the mixture, and let sit over low heat until the mixture achieves a thick, syrup-like consistency.

Allow the mixture to cool a little, and then pour into sterile canning jars and seal.

>>8200847
Candied Rose Petals

>1 egg white
>1 cup of sugar
>Petals from 2-3 roses

(I'm assuming that these are the portions per 2-3 roses...I'm just copying what's on the page)

Begin by slightly beating one egg white in a small bowl and sprinkling a layer of sugar on a small plate .
Next, dip the rose petals first in egg white and then in sugar so they are coated on both sides.

Dry these confections on a rack. Store the candied petalss on wax paper, each layer separated by a paper towel or piece of cheesecloth.

Use the candied petals as accents on candy trays, as a garnish for fruit cups, or decoration on cakes and pies - or adorn a serving platter with them for an elegant tea party!


I found a similar recipe online and they recommended using a brush to coat the eggs on the petal, and if you're concerned about raw eggs (like I am), they recommend simple syrup or prepared meringue powder.

All of you assholes that said marshmallow macaroon is good are going to fucking hell.
It tastes like warm koolaid and fucking burnt me as I dumped it in the sink.

>>8200874
And lastly.

Rose Petal Punch

>Petals from 3-4 roses
>1 tbs. sugar
>1 large bottle of sparkling or regular apple cider
>Juice of 1 lemon
>A handful of seasonal berries (optional)

Two to three hours before you wish to serve the punch, toss a large handful of fresh rose petals into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the petals, and pour a large bottle of sparkling or regular apple cider over the sugar, along with the juice of one lemon. Chill.

When ready to serve, strain off the liquid into a punch bowl, and add additional fresh rose petals and any in-season berries. Serve in tall glasses.

>>8200881
here here. I s2g they have to work for teavana or something that shit is the worst thing I have ever had the misfortune to drink

>>8199984
>Where do you all buy tea
basically just at adagio these days. occasionally at cost plus if their loose tea is on sale.

>>8201045
Their teas haven't disappoint me so far. I even like some of their fandom teas. I wonder if those blends can be done in store or if they're online only.

>>8201105
ngl, i own a crapton of sherlock blended teas. they're fuckin tasty. unsure if you can get those in-store....i only buy online.

I really want this itty bitty teapot because it is cute and small and just the perfect shade of blue
But fuck a duck if I am paying $60 for a two cup teapot set. What are you on teavana?

>>8201219
pictures are hard

>>8201219
I'm guessing tea leaves aren't the only leaves the company's passionate about.

>>8201045
I just bought 60 bucks in tea and a teapot from them if this sucks I will find you, and dump hot tea in your lap.

>>8200881
>Dumped it in the sink
Oh Anon, please don't tell me you bought it. :c I haven't tried it but eck, it sounds horrid.

>>8201219
teavana teapots are handmade and shit

>>8200888
Definitely trying this, thank you dear!

>>8201378
I only got a 2go cup so it was only like 4 bucks wasted but
just don't do it anon. I think they also over-heated mine so it was sweet then bitter and artificial tasting

>>8200847
>>8200874
>>8200888
So would I just buy roses from a flower shop for this?
Or probably like an organic grocery store to avoid pesticides I guess... Either way, thank you for these!

>>8193577
not to be a total pain in the ass but is the sailor moon cup still available to order anywhere

Fav tea is defs matcha. Make it with organic honey and almond coconut milk, sooo perfect for the mornings. Mmm.

>>8201326
i have their ingenuitea and it ROCKS. best steeper i own hands down.

what teas did you order? i can't speak for them all, but everything i've bought has been high quality and tasty.

>>8199984
Whittard's of Chelsea.

>>8200881
yeah i was reading the other anons and I was like "this can't be real"

>>8193733
Came here just to post that.

I also enjoy some of their fall/winter ones too, like the Toasted Nut Brulee

I just bought some rose kuan yin tea from tian hu shan from an asian shop in my city. Is it any good, or are there any recommended teas by this brand? I haven't brewed it yet because I need a ceramic kettle for best flavour and I want it to be perfect but I bought it on a whim. Has anyone had experience with this kind at all?

>>8202080
also maybe its just some scrub Asian tea, I don't know, I'm kind of a noob but I'm not really a fan of teavana and it's like the only "independant" tea shop I know in my area

>>8201219
Idk but I'd say it's resonable for a mediocre tea pot + cups. I'd say put it on some kind of wishlist, people love to gift tea sets.

>>8194216
>lapsang souchong
fucking love this stuff

>>8194245
They're really nice for little tea snacks when you have a lot of people, since there can be limited table space

>>8200847
>>8200874
Do you have to use a specific kind of rose?

>>8201740
reserves ended in january, you might try look on yahoo auctions after they start shipping out.

>>8202347
Fragrant ones are best and as always, use pesticide free flowers for eating.

>>8199943
Ceramic decals are thin glaze and require low temp kiln-firing just to follow up. Not the same at all.

>>8202080
It says jasmine tea on the jar so if there aren't English directions just look up water temp, steeping time and serving suggestions for 'jasmine tea'.

So my MIL just sent me some of these, I think they would make awesome finger food, since the tea would cut the fattyness.

>bacon wrapped dates stuffed with cream cheese

http://fiercefatties.com/2013/11/22/bacon-wrapped-dates-stuffed-with-cream-cheese/

>>8201707
Growing your own might be a pain, but I think an "organic" grocery store would be better than going to your local florist which likely would involve shipping flowers from countries that pay their workers peanuts. Either way, I'd just ask about the source and methods of growing the roses with the intention of using them for edible dishes.

>>8199984
The supermarket mostly.

>>8202724
this tbh

>>8202451
Mmm...reminds me of that mezze, sweet chilli peppers with cream/feta cheese inside. I love those, but since they're stored in oil as well you can't eat loads of them. I like those with mint green tea, although I think they're way too messy for a lolita event.

>>8202724
This too, in the UK any large supermarket has a whole aisle just for tea and they'll carry some higher-end brands as well as the basic ones.

>>8202451
Ew

>>8202451
>>8202898

I make a variation of this, date stuffed with goat cheese and pan seared or roasted, everyone I've made them for loves them and they are easy to make. IDK about wrapping them in bacon.

>>8193577
I totally forgot I have these cups too

>>8199984
I buy my from local tea shops or online (from local tea shops/retailers I have used in the past but have relocated away from). I'd Google tea shops in your area. there's almost a gurantee there are non-teavana shops in your area if you live in a relatively populated place. I like the ability to sample teas/talk to employees, and local tea shops actually have people who know what they are talking about (unlike teavana tbh)

If you are buying online adagio like the plague. they mostly sell overpriced trash. you'd be better off just going to a grocery store and picking up some there (especially if they stock higher end teas)

>>8202987
it's the salty/sweet combo. They're served warm.

>>8193577
The fact that I missed the preorder on this haunts me. God I hope there is a second run.

>>8202451
even better: bacon wrapped prunes (apparently a south american thing).....sounds gross but are fuckin TASTY

>>8203127
adagio is fine, wtf is wrong with you.

>>8202444
Oh this isn't the one I have it's just the same brand. The one I got says it was made with iron goodness of mercy method. I researched it , I don't know if any of you guys have personally tried it. Sounds like some kind of ritual.

>>8204853
So much want.
SO MUCH.

>>8203171
sounds really good (but then I eat prunes on their own) Why do they have a gross name? They're dried plums.

>>8204889
Apparently it's because the word prune is the French word for plum. If I remember correctly, plums were not endemic of Europe and were brought there thanks to international commerce (and the religion wars). Since France is closer of Orient than England, and since the two countries have had close ties since forever, the English just adopted the French word.
Dried plums are called pruneau (plural is pruneaux) in French.

My mom and I used to do catered teas. She collects all kinds of teapots from classy to cutesy goofy shaped ones and we serve it out of those.

>>8205922
Huh. That's interesting. Did you know that the word for avocado comes from a native word meaning testicle?

bump

>>8206463
Did you know that San Diego means whale's vagina?

>>8207761
Agree to disagree. Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago.

>>8202878
>>8202724
I have never explored the teas at my grocery, but if it's anything like the ethnic food products they sell, the selection would probably be shit.

>>8201045
>>8201105
I always assumed adagio was like teavana, but I guess I'll have to give them a try since so many seagulls are bumping them.

>>8203127
>I'd Google tea shops in your area
I just did this and found a shop a bit of a drive from where I live, but looking at their loose leaf teas online is giving me so much hope that this is a legit good place.

>goddammit captcha, stop testing me with food

Kinda a newfag question, but how can you know what sweets go well with certain teas?

>>8203177
adagio CAN be fine, but it can also be horrifying crap. I've gotten extremely bad batches of teas from them on multiple occasions, and after a while I just gave up on them.

like think vomit worthy. I've never had worse tea in my life (and they were teas I had ordered from them before). after a while I gave up because it was the worlds grossest game of Russian rulette.

I'm worried to go to my first official tea party meetup because I am a classless motherfucker
I love tea and the various snacks that can go with it, but I love drinking tea from huge mugs and adding lots of sugar, and I'm basically Kirby when it comes to snacks.
I definitely want to work on all of this though and become and classy little lady who sips from a tiny teacup

...does anyone have THE PERFECT sugar cookie recipe? I found one online that everyone raves about but when I made them I found that they needed some work and were not, infact THE PERFECT sugar cookies.

>>8208636
When in doubt, just wait to see what your host does and follow suit. You can always get a little one cup teapot & cup and have tea at home. I do it every now and again for myself as a treat. It's fun to get some cake and brew some tea and read a magazine.

This thread has me going through all my old traditional cook books. I'll pop up some that are easy to make if anyone is interested. This one is from the Golden Wattle Cookery Book. This book is form the 1920s and was given to each girl when she left school. It's a pretty useful book.

>>8208703
oh please post more old recipes, anon, thank you so much

>>8208667
thanks! I appreciate the advice c:

>>8206131
Reminds me how I was talking with my mom about how I've started collecting teacups and hadn't added any interesting teapots yet. She asked me if I wanted a tea set she had. It was a Kutani Dragonware set.

>>8208636
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ZJoVZKz9o

I don't like tea. Even the sweeter flavored ones I dislike the taste of.

>>8194082
I tried doing these tonight
It looks so sad.
They taste delicious though.

>>8208667
Learn to hold your teacup and fix your tea, practice this at home beforehand, then yes, just do as the hostess does for everything else. Usually the only thing that stands out is if you are awkward in handling your teacup or spoon or clumsy while adding cream, sugar, lemon, etc.

>>8208922
This photo should go in that Cospositive thread.

>>8208936
My cookies should too.

>>8208955
Honestly, that doesn't look that bad to me. I've seen way worse.

I remember the first time I tried making fudge and the texture came out grainy. When I told my mom she said it was because I overcooked it and she did the same thing her first time too.

>>8208966
Oh I picked the "best"looking cookie I had anon.
Haha, the rest are like an inch thick on the bottom hand, then 1/4 cm thick on the top.
But I can only get better.

>>8208955
Aw, you did good. If you chill them pretty hard and cut them with a wire next time, I think that will remedy any shape trouble. But I would eat them and serve at tea, they still look cute.

>>8208966
With fudge, try a marshmallow fudge recipe, they rarely get grainy. Fudge texture also can depend on the weather, it's finicky.

>>8208968
Man, I know wires exist, and I didnt even think of that. Thanks anon!

I'm going to my first burando tea party, and I wonder if I can combine a main piece by that brand with accessories (socks/stockings, blouse, jewelry) from other brands? Or will they give you the stink eye because you combined their dress with their rivaling companies items?
Still sort of new so I'm still sort of picking things from here and there, and I really like combining brands with each other.

>>8208991
You can even use thread.

>>8208970
You're not melting the sugar enough...

>>8209001
If it looks good, go for it anon.
But if it bugs you that much, just match brands.

>>8207761
Never thought I'd see an Anchorman reference in a tea thread

CHIP DIDN'T INVITE JEROME TO THE TEA PARTY

>>8209057
Well, it doesn't really bug ME but I asked a while ago about clothing etiquette and people pointed out that I definitely should wear something from the same brand that's holding the tea party (something that is very logical, but good to see confirmed). But would, let's say Baby, mind if I came wearing one of their dresses and combined it with IW and AP?

>>8209081
Nope, that's totally fine and what most people do, I think.

>>8208966
>>8208970
>>8209026
This. Grainy fudge actually usually means that you've under "cooked" it, i.e. that you didn't let it get to the proper temperature, or that you made it cool down too fast by stirring when you should have left it alone or something.
The key to smooth fudge is a good candy thermometer and allowing it to cool properly, as graininess usually develops as the fudge is cooling.
Also, I personally dislike marshmallow fudge.

Anyone else have recipes/ideas for sweets and desserts that don't require an oven? I'm big into baking, but I'm in an apartment with no access to an oven for the next 6 months. My stovetop knowledge limited to stuff like hard candies, fudge, caramel, etc.
I might try doing some marzipan fruits or something, but almonds are crazy expensive where I live right now.

>>8209106
I'm making some punsch rolls right now! They don't require an oven and are stupid easy to make. You DO, however, need to melt chocolate for it, but that's easy.
http://www.food.com/recipe/swedish-punsch-bars-95491

>>8209106
That's good to know. Original fudge anon. I don't have a candy thermometer and the fudge I was making was a carnation boxed marshmallow fudge(my mom gave it to me, it's the reason I was talking to her about it). Next time if I try making fudge I'll make sure to have a candy thermometer and watch my temps.

>>8209147
Ah. Funnily enough, I've found boxed/preprepared mixes are harder to work with than just making it myself. I've been helping my gram make sweets around the holidays for about 10 years, though.
If you like to make that sort of thing, definitely invest in a thermometer. They're relatively cheap and totally indispensable when it comes to making candy.