Enjoying apple cake, cinnamon rolls and Bundt cake fresh from the oven while sipping hot tea by the fire on a foggy weekend… that’s my vision of an ideal autumn afternoon. It’s not always easy to organize a sumptuous lunch or dinner for friends. We’re short of time, we’ve got to get organized, and we’re also a bit keen to spend some time for ourselves. Organizing a cosy autumn afternoon tea party in the French countryside is a great way to share a good time together.
Because of lockdown, it has become difficult to entertain and gather your friends and family at home. But it is not impossible – you can still enjoy being with your close ones or just being on your own. I often stress in my articles that just because you live alone doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to prepare a beautiful table! To break the routine at home and brighten up a rainy day (I love them, but not everyone does), move the furniture around a bit and set up a table by the fire. It’s good to shake things up from time to time, and you can imagine yourself in a cosy tea room in the middle of the English countryside. There’s no shortage of imagination at home, so it’s great fun to be invited to tea… as a family.
Gourmet pastries for a cosy autumn tea party
There’s plenty of choice at this time of year to prepare the perfect cosy autumn goûter: rustic apple tarts, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin or pecan pies, coffee and walnut cakes… recipes that I like to pair with warm, spicy seasonal beverages. For example, I replace traditional tea with a black tea – often Marco Polo from Mariage Frères, serve hot cider with cinnamon or pumpkin spice latte, a drink that has become a must in autumn.
A pretty floral tablecloth in half-tone hues and vintage tableware enhance the experience with a quaint but charming touch. Small bowls from the beautiful Faïencerie d’Art Bourg Joly Malicorne serve the cream for the roulés. A centerpiece made with flowers from the garden adds a rustic touch, and a candle for an even more country feel. Here’s the tutorial for this floral centerpiece. Logs crackling in the hearth… yes, you have to go all out, and you might as well make the most of the cosy-at-home card. It doesn’t take much to get off the beaten track and please everyone.
This type of cosy autumn tea party is often unanimously appreciated for being less formal. Guests are also delighted: they may not remember what they were served, but they do remember the warm, friendly atmosphere of such an autumn afternoon.
Here are a few gourmet and comforting recipes that will delight your guests.
> Recipe for Cinnamon Rolls in French: Roulés à la cannelle
Find all autumn-related posts here.
