Today, I am joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage who is hosting an Anne of Green Gables-themed afternoon tea. Many of you will, undoubtedly, associate both Anne and Lucy Maud Montgomery, the famed Island authoress of the “Anne” series of books, with Prince Edward Island. As many of you will already know, Lucy Maud was an Islander and she set her fictional story about the little orphan, Anne, on PEI.
To the extent possible, I have tried to include elements in the tea that Anne and her bosom friend, Diana, would have had at the afternoon tea that Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote about in chapter XVI in the “Anne of Green Gables” book: Raspberry cordial, cherry preserves, fruit cake, cookies, snaps, and tea.
I visited the Anne of Green Gables store in downtown Charlottetown this morning and picked up some raspberry cordial for the tea.
The other featured Island-made product at my tea today is the “Very Berry Cherry” jam produced by the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company in New Glasgow, PEI.
While biscuits weren’t mentioned as part of the menu for the tea in the “Anne” story, I’d be surprised if they were not standard fare at an afternoon tea of that era, particularly when preserves were included. Homemade biscuits are still a very common staple today in many Island households, mine included. Therefore, I have chosen to serve my homemade biscuits with the cherry jam.
I always tuck away a piece of my Christmas fruit cake in the freezer. It is such a treat in late summer or early fall. It made its way on to the tea table today along with some freshly made gingersnaps and melting moments, all of which would have been quite common tea fare back in the early 1900s when L.M. Montgomery was penning the “Anne” books. As I went through some of my ancestors’ hand-written recipe books, these were indeed items they had recipes for in their collections.
And, of course, the guest of honour would have to be Anne, herself! My mother gave me this collector’s doll for Christmas several years ago.
Anne looks like she might be eyeing those biscuits….perhaps it is time to eat.
This afternoon’s tea is Orange Pekoe and it is being served from my pretty pink and yellow rose Sadler teapot.
I am not sure Marilla would have trusted Anne and Diana with these delicate teacups but these were my choices from my teacup collection for today’s event. The one below is Royal Albert Sunnyside Series and is called “Petula”. I love the exquisite and elegant shape of the cup.
The beautiful cup and saucer below is also Royal Albert, Reverie Series.
Warm biscuits, not too many minutes out of the oven, are always so tasty!
And, with fresh creamery butter and a good slather of cherry jam, they melt in the mouth!
It’s hard to stop at just one homemade biscuit and jam!
Some fresh cherries before checking out the sweet tray.
Now, which will I try first? The fruitcake? A ginger snap? A melting moment?
Also on the tea table this afternoon is a Third Impression August 1908 version of the “Anne of Green Gables” book. A great conversation piece.
I hope you have enjoyed coming along on my Anne-themed afternoon tea.
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