No sooner was Christmas over than I began to think about Valentine’s Day. I’m not usually one to rush from one holiday to the next because each is special, and I like to savor them, but I thought back to the Valentine teas a friend of mine hosted for years, and I realized how much I missed them.
In those years as February approached, I awaited her invitation with great excitement. It was always printed on a beautiful card and mailed in a pale pink envelope. When the day finally arrived, nearly every guest wore shades of pink or red. Flutes of champagne and pastel pink punch were passed on silver trays, dainty finger sandwiches of strawberry cream cheese, egg salad, chicken salad, and thinly sliced cucumber were arranged on platters, and tiny heart-shaped scones, cakes, and cookies tempted us all.
It was a thoughtful, elegant celebration of friendship — one that is still meaningful to me after all these years.
So, I’ve decided to host a Valentine tea for my Colorado girlfriends.
I’ve ordered gorgeous Valentine paper for invitations which will be mailed or hand-delivered in late-January. My large dining table will be draped in starched white linens and set with china plates and teacups, silver flatware, and Valentine napkins.
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Trays and tiered servers will display tea sandwiches, scones, and heart-shaped cookies. Delicate tea cakes will be irresistible displayed on my collection of glass and crystal cake stands.
One of my favorite teatime cakes is ginger tea cake. This single-layer confection is light with a tender crumb and perfumes the house with delightful scents of allspice, cinnamon, and ginger. Dusted with a cloud of powdered sugar just before serving, this seasonal cake tastes divine, is easy to make, and looks every bit as elegant as more elaborate desserts.
My Valentine tea is a gift from my heart to dear friends, just like the party my friend hosted each year.
Now that February has arrived, I can hardly wait for my friends to see what I’ve planned for them. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Christy Rost is a cookbook author, host of Celebrating Home cooking videos, and longtime Park Cities and Preston Hollow resident. Her ‘At Home with Christy Rost’ cooking series for Eat This TV Network airs on AmazonFire, AppleTV+, Roku, Samsung TV, and YouTube. Visit christyrost.com for details and recipes.
