Cookies for a Tea Party

I was commissioned to make a set of Downton Abbey inspired, tea-themed cookies for a local event in my town.  With a set of cookie cutters in the shapes of a teapot, a teacup, a teabag, a cupcake, a scalloped round and a plaque, I quickly iced cookies worthy of any tea party.

These cookies were made with a specific color palette at the request of a friend.  A deep turquoise, a soft pink, a dark lavender and some jet black (not to mention white, of course) is what you will need to make these specific cookie designs.  You may also want to add a bit of gilded touches to your cookies if you want to make them stand out even more.

I don't know if Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, would ever have had a reason to own a  black and white bone china teapot, but this one works.  It almost resembles a piece of Wedgwood.  I do know that she probably would never have eaten a frilly cupcake like the ones you see here.  That's OK, though.  

For the teapot, outline and fill the teapot lid, spout, handle and foot in white royal icing using a #2 piping tip, and then add the lid finial and the body of the teapot in whatever color you want, using a #2 piping tip.  While the icing is wet, add either silver or gold-colored drageés for accents.  Once the cookie is completely dry, you can then gild it with Rolkem gold diluted in either rum or vodka, until you have an edible paint with which to work.  

The teabags are outlined and flooded in white icing, and the teabag top is outline and flooded in a different color.  Once the cookie is dry, you can add the tea selection and some gilded accents if you wish.

Bell pulls are done on plaque-shaped cookies.  Outline the entire cookie with a bead of white royal icing using a #2 piping tip.  Let dry.  Using a colored royal icing in either black, turquoise, lavender or pink, flood the base of the cookie.  Let dry completely.  Pipe a bell along with a bell pull in black royal icing using a #1 piping tip.  Add gold drageés as shown.  Let dry.

For the teacups, outline and flood the rim, the foot and the handle of the teacup in white royal icing using a #2 piping tip.  The teacup bowl can then be outlined and flooded in a different color of royal icing.  If you wish, drag the icings along the rim and the foot to create a pattern or leave as is.  While the icing is wet, add drageés and simple designs of your choice on the bowls of the teacups.  Let dry completely.  The teacup handles can then get gilded with the same food-grade Rolkem gold.

Here, the cookies sit on a mix of L.E. Smith Glass and Mosser Glass cake stands.  The beautiful milk glass, shell pink and Georgia blue color of the stands really enhance the cookie display.

Since these were meant to be displayed and handed out to individuals, I placed each cookie in a clear cellophane bag, and I sealed each treat with a gold foil sticker along the backs of the cookies.  Packaged this way, guests were able to help themselves to one or two during tea.  

Personally, I think a set of cookies like this would be good for a wedding shower, a little girl's birthday party, a gathering of a garden club, or for a small intimate celebration amongst friends.  

Happy Baking!