Afternoon Tea: Nutcracker High Tea
Happy New Year! This is my first post for 2016 and what better way to start the year than sharing one of my favourite past times’ Afternoon Tea! Unlike the UK, it’s not as much of tradition here in Toronto so whenever I get a chance to go, I jump on it. I’ve been to high tea at Shangri-la hotel a few times but never during the holiday season and this year the desserts were inspired by the Nutcracker ballet. Four pastries were based upon the Spanish, Arabian, Chinese and Russian dances from the second act of the Nutcracker: Chocolate, Coffee, Tea and Candy Canes, respectively. The Chinese dance is represented by the green tea sponge roll cake stuffed with Imperial Dragon tea cream, mandarin gelee and lined with chestnut puree. What was really strange about this pastry was its savoury flavour – there was no sweetness to it at all which if you save it to the end (like I did) it nicely offsets all the sweet from the other pastries. However, the best one was the Russian dance, a gingerbread base topped with a condensed milk mousse and finished with mini peppermint (candy cane) meringues. It was delightful with all the flavours that remind me of Christmas (#ilovetheholidays)!
Nutcracker high tea at Shangri-la.
Three tier stand of delicious treats.
Four different varieties of finger sandwiches: roasted turkey, truffle poached egg, honey baked ham and Atlantic lobster on a brioche bun.
A pocket full of plain and candied ginger scones along with marzipan stollen.
Desserts inspired by the Nutcracker. Bottom left is the Chinese Dance and in the centre (in the glass) is the Spanish Dance.
Bottom left: the Russian dance dessert and to its right, the Arabian dance cake.
What a wonderful afternoon tea. http://pinkiebag.com/