Boston Globe Review: Fancy That tearoom

Shirley Goh/Globe Staff

Have you ever had afternoon tea?  It's one of my most favorite ways to pass the time.  I love the carefully brewed tea, the leisurely pace, the beautiful china.  And of course, the finger sandwiches, scones, and miniature sweets.

Fancy That, a Walpole vintage rental shop, just opened its tearoom in May.  Read my verdict in today's Globe South in The Boston Globe: http://b.globe.com/175PueM

Chocolate Hazelnut Melting Moments

As promised from last time, here are the Chocolate Hazelnut Melting Moments.  Chocolate-hazelnut cookies sandwich a creamy chocolate-hazelnut filling.  I'm not sure how these are hazelnut variations of Melting Moments, which I made previously.  The recipes aren't similar, and this hazelnut recipe lacks the cornstarch or Bird's custard powder that you often see in Melting Moments recipes.  The taste and consistency are different, though wonderful in their own way.  They're chocolate and hazelnut, so how could they not be?  They just deserve their own name.

The dough can be a little fussy to work with.  Once the dough starts to get melty and tear, and the rounds don't hold their shape when handled, toss the remaining dough into the freezer, parchment sheets and all, to firm up before cutting again.  It's a little labor intensive, but they are well worth it.

Melting Moments tea cookies

Melting Moments: The name is corny, but the sandwiched cookie is divine.  When my friend Bryanna was clearing her apartment for her big move to New York, she offered me a book of afternoon tea recipes.  Everything looked good, but the Melting Moments caught my attention immediately.  They're crisp yet light-textured cookies filled with buttercream.  I had made them months ago with another recipe, which used Bird's custard powder and added jam on top of the buttercream.  I like this recipe better, which uses cornstarch and vanilla instead so there wasn't the subtle chalky taste or texture I got from the Bird's.  I made some other minor tweaks and added the jam to this version also. Trust me, jam plus buttercream induces satisfied groans.  Thanks, Bry!  Maybe I'll make these next time you're in town.

Also, if you're a fan of chocolate and hazelnut together, check back here in a few days for the Hazelnut Melting Moments I also made from this book!

I'm catching up on following all your posts.  It's been a busy summer, especially with the visit of family.  I had fun grilling and chilling with my dad, even if we disagree on how long it takes to cook meat on the grill and how harmful char is.  It's all good -- by a certain age and with living in different states, you overlook the little stuff and enjoy your time together.  And Sis and I had been waiting all summer for a beach outing together.  She brought her little one, who would run around yelling, "Auntie, where arrre yoou?  A-yi, where arrre yoou?"  In these pictures Audrey is hanging with Grandpa, her best friend.  In the one on the left, she's using one of her favorite expressions, "Wooo-ooow!" while she watches the waves.

And my garden has been rewarding me with tomatoes!  There's loads of these little Sun Sugar tomatoes, some big heirloom Brandywine tomatoes, cherry peppers, and the occasional strawberry.  On the right is a sauce I made from the yellow tomatoes, and a salsa behind it from the Brandywines and cherry peppers.  I've been hitting up the farmers market for blueberries, summer squash, and fragrant peaches with the fuzz still on them.  I'm trying, as usual, to milk every moment out of summer before it gets too cold for my favorite produce, beaches, and barbeques.

Celebrating Pride & Prejudice's 200th with Tea

My Jane Austen book club toasted the 200th anniversary of Pride & Prejudice with afternoon tea at Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge.  This restaurant in Harvard Square serves afternoon tea on the weekends that's a bit modern and whimsical.  More photos and comments follow the jump.

Boston Globe Review: Coastal Cottage Tea

Photos by Shirley Goh/Globe Staff

I love afternoon tea, with its scones and Devonshire cream and finger sandwiches.  But sometimes the city hotels are pricey or come with parking hassles.  At Windsor Tea Shop & Tea Room in Cohasset, you trade in fancy for a country cottage vibe, and big-city prices for lower ones with free parking.  And then there's the food.  Read all about it!

Read the review at: http://b.globe.com/10zQ1BI

If the subscriber pay wall locks you out, it's available at: http://bo.st/XDCfiI

Windsor Tea Room

Ever notice how a cup of tea and a scone can slow life down, and make it a calmer and happier place?  When life suddenly turns your landlord into a psychotic nut and your life is in boxes, many a cuppa will get you through it.  That's right, folks, I've been silent because I've been apartment-hunting and then moving (still in the same area), but I am unpacking my new kitchen and really eager to get into the spirit of Christmas baking.

But I did make the time to explore a new tearoom with friends, and it was fun and delicious.  So head on over to our Boston Tea Party blog and read mine and Rebecca's takes on the Windsor Tea Room in Cohasset, and I'll get cookin' soon!

"Austen" Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

I have not been able to get these sandwiches out of my head!  Rebecca from my Austen in Boston book club makes some awesome sandwiches, but these are my favorite, hands down.  Rebecca calls them "Austen in Boston" English Cucumber Tea Sandwiches.  We enjoyed them at our last picnic, and they are so good with a cup of tea -- with cream and sugar, of course.

This post also appears at Boston Tea Party.

Cucumber sandwiches are simple, but these get some complexity from herbs and good-quality bread.  Rebecca uses Ezekiel Bran for Life bread, but my store didn't have any so I went with Nature's Pride Nutty Oat (strangely, the packaging says it has a nutty flavor but no nuts, and it's 100% natural).  Even Joe loved the nutty oat, and he isn't always keen on the 12-grain-type breads I bring home.  Plus I think ordinary white bread is too bland for something as mild as cucumber.

Using a mandoline gives you uniform slices

The slices are paper-thin

Rebecca also uses organic cream cheese, nothing artificial.  I went with neufchatel cheese, which tastes just like cream cheese but has a third less fat.  Philadelphia makes one.  I went with the English seedless cucumber she recommended -- it has less water and seeds than regular cucumber -- as well as the dill.  Rebecca recommends dried chives as an alternative and says they're better than fresh.  I used both dill and fresh chives, since I have chives growing in my garden and personally love them fresh.

Slathering cream cheese on half of the bread

Slightly overlap layers of cucumber, then repeat once

These few ingredients make up a sandwich both delicate for tea and snacking, but hearty enough to fill you up, to my surprise.  Now, I once made cucumber sandwiches on this blog way back when, but in retrospect I didn't have a great formula.  You need the right ratio of cucumber slices to cream cheese to bread, and this recipe has it.  I foresee many chilly afternoons with these babies and a hot pot of tea.

Afternoon Tea at the Boston Public Library

I had afternoon tea with my Austen in Boston book club at the Boston Public Library at Copley Square.  This review also appears at Boston Tea Party.

The main branch of the Boston Public Library at Copley Square sure sounds like the perfect place for afternoon tea: historical architecture, a courtyard complete with fountain, murals by John Singer Sargent, scores of books for Austen lovers like us.  In general, it did not disappoint.

The atmosphere was more casual and relaxing than the local hotels that serve tea.  You don't have to dress up much, or sit up very straight.  There is no maître d' or harpist.  The room is beautifully and classically decorated.  But on a Friday afternoon few of the tables were occupied so most of them were not set, leaving the room feeling slightly empty.

The polka dot china was cute, but the plain white teapots, sugar holder, and creamer were a disappointment.  The food was good, and the caterer is new-ish.  At $22.50 plus tax and tip (the 18% gratuity is included in the check), it's more affordable than tea at most hotels, though it seemed like less food.  But after more cups of tea, I felt positively full.

The watercress sandwich with lemon aioli was surprisingly and pleasantly fragrant.  The caper on the smoked salmon was a nice touch, the apricot chicken salad sandwich was all right, and the cucumber and herb cream cheese was traditional but always a favorite.  The crumbled bacon and tomato sandwich was an unusual addition to tea, but so good.

The blackberry and peach tart had the perfect balance of sweet and tart in a crisp pastry shell.  The raspberry and lemon cream tart was simple but delicious.  I'd been wondering, "What the heck is a chocolate sinclair?"  It turned out to be an ultra-rich and dense chocolate cake, and the small size was just right for the intensity of the chocolate.

The currant scones were served with Devonshire clotted cream and four fruit marmalade.  The only problem with them?  I wanted more.

I had the Ceylon tea and was happy with it.  Kirk's peach and ginger tea smelled good.  Erica and Karen seemed to like their teas, but I forgot to ask for their verdicts.

In my personal ranking of Boston-area tea venues, this one is around the top.  The food at the library wins over Hallowed Herbs in Quincy and the Four Seasons, is about the same as the Langham, and almost as good as the Taj.  The ambiance is better than the Four Seasons, Hallowed Herbs, and Langham, but not the Taj (if going by the room alone).  But for a more relaxed and unfussy feel (and Kirk was a fan of this), the library wins over the Taj.  The service was good.  The company is always excellent.  ;)  My verdict: Visit it!

I'm tacking on the additional thoughts of Kirk:
Wonderful review, Shirley! I agree! My tea (it was a black tea)  was more peach than ginger in taste, which was fine by me (lol, I'm more peach than ginger, err  more of a fan of Marianne (ok Maryanne is the common spelling, but as this is a Jane Austen bookclub..,) than Ginger). Yes, what a wonderful nose the tea had! Maybe that was the ginger. I thought I had the best seat in the room. To my right eye, the corridor and courtyard.To my left, the delightful company. :) Speaking of the corridor, it was amusing when two women stopped in the corridor to check out what we were eating and waved at us! That certainly added to the relaxed feeling I had (try that at the Taj). I don't normally like to be observed eating, but it was perfectly fine there. I was impressed that the manager was willing to do a Tea only option for one member of our party who wasn't sure about eating. I certainly enjoyed the food...did have a slight "reaction" to the cucumber (lol, Rebecca's was much better last
Sunday!). I agree about the bacon and tomato. Loved the salmon and caper as well. I would be delighted to go back in a couple months!