Experience the magic of a real-life fairy tale with this guide to hosting your own enchanting Snow White tea party, inspired by the excitement of the new live-action film. As spring blossoms, transform your gathering into a princess-worthy affair, complete with delightful Disney-inspired recipes and charming, thematic touches.
From enchanting decor tips to recipe suggestions, prepare to enchant your guests with a whimsical celebration that brings the fairy tale to life! (Just watch out for those “poisonous” apples!)
Setting the Scene
Creating the right ambiance is crucial for bringing a fairy tale to life. While a garden is the ideal location for its natural charm, any room can be transformed into a magical setting with the right décor.
Table Décor
Begin with a yellow tablecloth that reflects Snow White’s iconic dress and overlay it with a beautiful blue runner to capture her classic colors. Complement the setup with enchanting elements such as charming forest-inspired or rustic-patterned tea cups.
Adorn the table with bird nests and little bird figurines to reflect Snow White’s affinity for woodland creatures, and scatter real pine cones to enhance the forest ambiance. Complete each place setting with a red napkin and a Honeycrisp apple, accompanied by a quaint place card, ensuring every detail seamlessly contributes to the Snow White theme.
Flowers
Elegance can be added with serving platters used as bases for floral displays. Opt for arrangements that are designed to be viewed from the front, suitable for intimate settings or where flowers are placed against a backdrop.
Incorporate Snap Dragons and prune large hydrangea leaves to prevent wilting, creating arrangements that are both aesthetically pleasing and practical.
Additional Suggestions
- Lighting: Soft, ambient lighting or fairy lights can add a whimsical touch, mimicking the enchanted forest vibe.
- Music: Background music featuring the Snow White soundtrack or instrumental versions of classic Disney tunes can enhance the fairy tale atmosphere.
- Favors: Consider giving guests small favors such as red apple-shaped candles or hand mirrors to take a piece of the fairy tale home with them, perfectly capturing the essence of Snow White’s story.
By carefully selecting each element, from the table settings to the ambient touches, you can create a Snow White tea party that feels as if it’s straight out of a fairy tale.
A Flight of Snow White-Inspierd Sandwiches
Now, let’s talk about the stars of any tea party: the sandwiches! Here are a few suggestions:
· Gooseberry and Cheese: Channeling Snow White’s famous gooseberry pie, this sandwich incorporates gooseberry jam, a delightful find especially when fresh gooseberries are scarce. Layered between crustless white bread with a slice of Havarti cheese and cut into thirds, these sandwiches can be adorned with optional edible pansies for a regal touch.
· Black Forest Ham and Munster: Perfectly themed for a Snow White tea party, this sandwich combines mayonnaise on one side and Dijon mustard on the other, filled with Black Forest ham and Munster cheese, and shaped into a triangle.
· Open-Faced Cucumber with Radish and Herb Cream Cheese: A fresh take on the traditional cucumber sandwich, this open-faced version features chive and onion cream cheese spread on crustless bread, topped with cucumber slices, radish rounds, and a sprinkle of fresh dill for a playful and visually appealing option.
· Apple Chicken Salad on Apple Slices: Reflecting the central theme of apples in Snow White’s story, this unique offering includes a mix of chicken, cranberries, almonds, thyme, diced apple, and green onion in a Greek yogurt-based dressing with lemon zest, lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Served on fresh apple slices instead of bread, this dish is both nutritious and charming, garnished with radish cut into flower shapes.
Sweet Enchantments: Scones and Desserts
No tea party is complete without something sweet!
- Vanilla Buttermilk Scones: A batch of old-fashioned vanilla buttermilk scones adds a classic charm. The recipe combines flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cold butter, buttermilk, an egg yolk, and quality vanilla. It is crucial to mix the dough just enough to keep the scones tender. Once baked until golden, these scones boast a craggly exterior while remaining soft and pillowy inside, served with classic clotted cream and raspberry jam.
- Mini Black Forest Cakes: Drawing inspiration from the Black Forest setting of the original Snow White fairy tale, these mini cakes are a delightful nod to German cuisine. Prepared from a chocolate cake roll, cut into rounds rather than rolled, they are layered with freshly whipped cream and a homemade cherry sauce made from frozen cherries, water, sugar, and a cornstarch slurry. Optionally, the cakes can be brushed with kirsch and are finished with shaved chocolate, ready to assemble just before serving.
- Hyperrealistic Apple Cakes: Designed to mimic real apples, complete with striping, they encase a delicious apple cake filling, offering a perfect twist on the "poison apple" theme. Watch this tutorial to learn how to make them.
- Gooseberry Fool: Revisiting the gooseberry theme, this classic English dessert is both simple and refreshing. Cream is whipped until just thickened, then sweetened with powdered sugar and vanilla before being gently swirled with delicious gooseberry jam. Served with a shortbread cookie, which can be crumbled on top for extra texture, the Gooseberry Fool is light and tastes more complex than its preparation suggests. This dessert can also be creatively adapted into a trifle.
Tea Time Bliss
With the table set and the food ready, all that’s left is the tea! Here are our top picks for teas that would pair well with a Snow White tea party:
- Audubon Apricot - This tea blends the fruity sweetness of apricots with a refreshing tea base, perfect for a garden setting and offering a light, aromatic flavor that would pair nicely with spring-inspired dishes.
- Beignet - This caffeine-free blend features the comforting flavors of a freshly fried beignet. Its sweet, soothing notes would be a delightful accompaniment to any dessert course.
- Bayou Bonfire Souchoung - This unique tea provides a smoky depth, reminiscent of a bonfire, which could play into the woodland aspect of a Snow White theme, adding a rustic, cozy feel to your tea selection.
- Crescent City Chamomile - A soothing choice, this tea is perfect for creating a relaxing atmosphere with its gentle floral notes, making it a wonderful option for unwinding during your fairy tale gathering.
- Versailles Lavender Earl Grey - Infused with the elegant flavors of lavender and the classic bergamot of Earl Grey, this tea offers a royal touch that aligns beautifully with the regal element of your Snow White tea party.
So, tell me, mirror mirror on the wall, who’s going to have the fairest tea party of them all? I think we all know the answer!