Tea Party Suggestions for Kids?

[agmoneyb]

Please help! I have been asked to bring a few items to a kids tea party on Wednesday at the dance school where I work. The children are between the ages of 6 & 8 yrs. I was thinking little sandwiches without the crusts and maybe some little cookies. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't have kids of my own (yet), and I have no idea what would be good for little fingers and palates.
TIA,
Amanda

[Missi]

Do you have a mini muffin pan? You could make cupcakes, little mini cheesecakes, or brownies using it.

If you don't have the pan, you could make either chocolate truffles (there are several really easy recipes that have been posted that you should be able to find if you use the search function) or peanut butter balls.

If you decide to make sandwiches you could cut them into fun shapes with cookies cutters, or use small rye bread or mini pitas.

Good luck with what you decide!! Sounds like a fun party for kids!

[etawalker]

Amanda,

Here is a recipe for my 5-year-old's favorite lemon tartlets. They're cute, easy, and would be great for a tea party.

Good luck! Trisha

Lemon Tartlets
Bake: 20 minutes Oven: 325*
Makes: 24 tartlets

Tart Shells:
½ cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 ¼ cup flour

Filling:
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 large lemon
Powdered Sugar

1.Preheat oven to 325*. Spray cups of a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
2.For tart shells, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg white; blend well. Add flour; mix until just blended. Drop level scoops of dough into muffin cups (about a tablespoon per cup). Press into cups with a well floured tart shaper.
3.For filling, whisk eggs in small bowl. Whisk in sugar and melted butter. Zest lemon to measure 2 teaspoons of zest. Juice lemon to measure 3 tablespoons juice. Add zest and juice to egg mixture and blend well. Pour filling evenly into tart shells.
4.Bake 20-22 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove pan to cooling rack; cool 5 minutes. Remove tartlets from pan; cool completely. Store in tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

[Kathy B]

You could make some mini fruit kabobs on toothpicks. At 6-8 years old, they ought to be OK with the toothpicks, and you could easily fit about 3 pieces of fruit (maybe a grape, a slice of banana, a section of orange, etc...) to a pick.

[BetsyS]

My grandmother used to make tea sandwiches for us. She always made them just like this recipe from Paula Deen. I especially like the pineapple and the cucumber ones.

Engagement Ring Finger Sandwiches Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 10 to 12 sandwiches

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained and patted dry
1/2 cup finely minced green olives
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 loaf soft white bread, crusts removed
1 loaf soft wheat bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, for garnish, optional
2 tablespoons bacon pieces, for garnish, optional
2 tablespoons poppy seeds, for garnish, optional
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, for garnish, optional


In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese and mayonnaise. Split into 4 approximately 4-ounce portions and put into separate bowls.
Combine pineapple and 4 ounces cream cheese mixture and set aside. Combine green olives and 4 ounces cream cheese mixture and set aside. Combine cucumbers and 4 ounces cream cheese mixture and set aside. Combine pecans and 4 ounces cream cheese mixture and set aside.

To assemble sandwiches, spread the fillings on top of white bread slices and cover with wheat bread slices. Cut each sandwich into triangles, squares or circles. Arrange on a large platter by sandwich filling. Garnish with parsley, bacon pieces, poppy seeds, or pecans. In gold ink, write each sandwich filling on a small card, attach it to a toothpick and place it in the center of each pile of sandwiches, identifying the filling

[agmoneyb]

Thank you so much for the great ideas! I think I'll do finer sandwiches (i have a heart and star cookie cutters), fruit on plastic toothpicks, and the tartlets sound cute too! Thank you!