Serve it up Sassy
“Sweet
Thoughts
&Special
Thanks”
Valentine Dessert
Tea Menu
Chocolate Pot’s d crème
Pink with Raspberry Crème Macrons
White with Marshmallow Crème Macrons
Red with Ganache Macrons
Box of Chocolates
Mini chocolate cupcakes decorated with Valentine candies
Heart Puzzle Monogrammed Butter Cookies with Peppermint Pink
Butter cream Frosting
Flavored Water with Fresh Strawberries, Cucumbers,
Lemons & Limes
Cheddar Chutney Ham Ribbon Bites*
Pecan Chicken Salad Triangles*
Mini Cheese Truffles*
VALENTINE’S DAY DESSERT TEA
RECIPE DEVELOPMENT, FOOD STYLING, PHOTOGRAPHY,
AND ARTICLE BY LIZ BUSHONG
E
very bride wants to celebrate with her closest friends, the
bridesmaids, so consider hosting an intimate and private “Sweet
Thoughts and Special Thanks” Valentine’s Day Dessert Tea.
Hosting a Valentines’ Day dessert tea for your bridesmaids or bridal party is a
lovely way to share your heart-felt appreciation and love for their friendship
and support. This tea will be remembered because this is something special
that you planned just for them. Here are a few ideas for a fun and decadent
dessert tea. Color coordinating and having a theme will make your life easier
when planning the menu for your tea. You will avoid costly mistakes and clarify
the details on the “wow” factors that you want your guests to enjoy. Share your
passion for pink, red and white as the grand color scheme. A clever “tea bag”
invitation will announce this fun event. Take time to create or have someone
create the invitation for you. Make it your own by adding your signature touch
to the envelope. Hand-deliver or mail this cute and personalized invitation at
least two weeks prior to your tea. On the day of the tea, everyone will be talking
about the invitation and will be so impressed with your creativity. Begin this afternoon tea soiree with a beautifully set table. Folded heart-shaped
pink napkins stand upright and are placed in delicate tea cups. Decorative
white porcelain tea pots and mini painted hearts on sugar cubes will leave
the impression that you paid close attention to every detail. For a proper cup
of tea, loose Earl Gray is served in the dainty white porcelain pots which are
shared by two. A tea strainer is placed on each cup for straining the tea. As
a take-home gift, create an amorous tea blend using loose leaves like English
breakfast, and add sundry flavorings such as mint, dehydrated rose petals, and
almond flavoring or almond tea. Your guests will know that you have blended
this tea with love.
The centerpiece with the pink Alstroemeria (Purvian Lily) and fresh organic red
radishes with long roots curling around the flowers adds visual interest. For a bit
of whimsy, position three cubed vases down the center of the table. Two of the vases
are wrapped with pink foil then dotted with pink wrapped kisses all around. The
center vase draws attention to the positioned arrangements with a zebra print
napkin that is placed between the outer and inside vase. Another wow factor or
attention to detail includes a singular demitasse cup of chocolate pots d crème with
a cut fresh strawberry in the shape of a heart at each place setting
The visual feast will unfold all the senses, beginning with the sounds of laughter
as the guests gather around the table seeing the fanciful and playful lady-n-hat
cake stand tiered with red, white and Pink Macarons*. The aroma of fresh
baked monogrammed heart-shaped butter cookies with peppermint pink
butter cream frosting reminds everyone of the wedding nuptials to come. The
glass water pitcher flavored with fresh strawberries, cucumbers, lemons and
limes will refresh every palate. And not to be forgotten is the heart-shaped
“box of chocolates”, aka mini chocolate cupcakes, decorated like a box of
chocolates that adds the perfect touch to this Valentine Dessert Tea. With all
of these decadent desserts, you may want to serve a few savories such as mini
finger sandwiches. *Cheddar Chutney Ham Ribbon Bites, Pecan Chicken
Salad Triangles, and Mini Cheese Truffles would round out the savory side
of this tea. Another consideration would be to create small gift boxes of the
mini chocolates to give with the tea blend for a wonderful ending to a great
afternoon of sipping tea with your dearest friends. A Bridal Valentine Dessert
Tea is the perfect way to express your love toward each other and will make a
joyful memory to last a lifetime.
*Recipes can be found at lizbushong.com - Sweets & Savories cookbook
Makes 6 ½ cup servings
Serve it up Sassy
Chocolate Pot de Crème
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 (11.5-ounce) package Ghirardelli 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons very strong brewed non flavored coffee
2 eggs
Sweetened whipped cream
GARNISH
6 ripe red fresh strawberries*
1 cup whipped cream
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, heat cream just to boiling point; remove from heat.
In a food processor or blender, add chocolate chips; process to make smaller pieces of chocolate.
In small bowl, whisk eggs and add 2 tablespoon of hot cream, stir to blend. Add this mixture to the remaining hot cream,
then add coffee. Cover and blend at high speed for about 3 minutes until well blended.
Yield: 12 mini cupcakes
Pour into six demitasse cups or small tea cups .Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, top with whipped cream; garnish with diced heart shaped strawberry slices.
Valentine Candy Mini Cupcakes
*To cut strawberry garnish- slice berry into small vertical thin slices, crop one corner to resemble crown of heart,
cut two pieces and place together on top of whipped cream.
Make a Statement, Make it Sassy, Make it Your own Macron
http://lizbushong.com/category/holidays/spring/valentines-day/
INGREDIENTS
Small heart shaped dish or candy box
12 mini baked chocolate truffle filled* cupcakes in paper liners
1 cup chocolate frosting
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate frosting*-placed in zip-lock bag
½ cup vanilla frosting*-placed in zip-lock bag
½ cup chocolate jimmies
½ cup assorted sparkling sugars, red, white, pink, (Wilton products)
Assorted candies - red foiled covered hearts, conversation hearts, chocolate covered cherries, marshmallows
Red Hots, valentine M&M’s, pink candy corn, or make your own using candy melts and candy molds
INSTRUCTIONS
Frost 6 cupcakes with chocolate frosting, smooth top.
Roll edges of the cupcakes in the desired sprinkles - jimmies/sugars.
Attach candies to wet frosting.
Melt chocolate frosting in microwave for 12 seconds to melt slightly. This is now a glaze.
For marshmallows, using a fork, dip mallow into dark chocolate glaze, set aside to dry on a cookie sheet before attaching to cupcake. Drizzle white chocolate on top of chocolate coated marshmallow. *Frosting glaze in zip-lock bags, clip one end so you can drizzle frosting over candies.
Pipe swirls, zigzags or use frosting to attach candies as glue to tops of cupcakes.
Dip remaining 6 cupcakes in the dark chocolate glaze, attach candies.
Yield: 6 dozen -3 inch cookies
Puzzle Heart Butter Cookies
Transfer decorated cupcakes to the box or heart shaped dish,
fill any open spaces with extra candies. M&M’s or candies of choice.
*Chocolate truffle filled cupcake recipe can be found on lizbushong.com.
Recipe adapted from Hello Cupcake-Karen Tack, Alan Richardson.
INGREDIENTS
6 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups butter (4 sticks)
2 teaspoons vanilla or crème bouquet flavoring
2 cups sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Use a stand mixer to prepare this dough.
Cream sugar and butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and flavoring.
Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to butter mixture. Mix well.
Put a handful of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to ¼ inch thickness.
Repeat with the rest of the dough. Put the rolled dough, including the parchment paper on a cookie sheet and refrigerate
for 10 minutes or longer. Your dough will be chilled and ready to cut and bake with no wait and no added flour!
Repeat the process with scraps after cutting cookies.
The puzzle cookie cutter can be ordered from fancyflours.com.
Bake at 250 degrees for 8-10minutes. Let cool on rack.
Note: This dough will not spread while baking and is perfect for cutting out various shapes and sizes.
Recipe was adapted from Karen’s cookies.com and fancyflours.com
Make a Statement, Make it Sassy and Make it Yours!
Liz Bushong is an expert in the three-dimensional art ofentertaining. She transforms simple dining occasions
into beautiful and memorable moments by adding a touch of her own “sassy” style. She makes elegance
easy for her audience and encourages them to add their own Sassy touch to make it unique .Liz is famous for
creating her own version of a beautifully presented tablescape – which she calls a Sassyscape ™ .
In 2009 and 2010, Liz was selected from thousands nationwide to be part of an elite team of 100 professionals
entrusted with decorating the White House for the holiday. In 2011, she was part of seven-person team
selected to decorate the Tennessee governor’s mansion for the holiday.
Liz has been featured as the monthly guest chef on Daytime Tri-cities, television show on WJHL, the CBS
affiliate for the Tri-cities area of Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. She is also the creator and host of her own one-hour
seasonal television show called “Serve it up Sassy!” for the same market, which aired in 2011.
She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Consumer and Family Sciences from Purdue University and an Associate
in Applied Science degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She is also
certified in Decorative Finishes and has been trained as a master gardener. Liz is the author of Just Desserts and
Sweets & Savories cookbook. Liz makes her home in Johnson City, Tennessee. She continues to perfect her sassy
approach to turning simple dining occasions into beautiful and memorable moments.
To purchase cookbooks, see recipes, cooking, and decorating ideas go to www.lizbushong.com.