Hosting afternoon tea

I am an unapologetic Anglophile:

Downton Abbey

marathon watcher. Jane Austen action figure on my desk. Believer that everything sounds better with a British accent.

But, oh, the tea.

I'm not just talking about a properly brewed cuppa - though even that, by some accounts, is losing ground to coffee - delightful and rejuvenating as it is.

What I'm referring to is afternoon tea, that convivial tradition of scones, sandwiches, and pastries that bridges the "hangry" gap between lunch and dinner. In fact, the story goes, that's exactly why Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford, supposedly began the practice in the 1840s. I love the leisurely pace, the treat-yourself mentality, and the sheer variety of bite-size foods. I simply cannot get enough.

I have taken two week-plus trips to England in the last few years, and each time, my husband and I went to three afternoon teas. Back at home, we have patronized many hotels offering posh takes on the practice.

But swanky hotel teas and transatlantic airfares can add up. So I decided to pursue a way to host an afternoon tea at home, combining some of the best features of the British tradition with a more laid-back approach. (Just please don't call it high tea, the term reserved for the heartier fare that was traditionally eaten by working-class folk at a normal-height table, as opposed to the lower side tables and couches favored by the upper classes in their dressing rooms.)

It's the perfect kind of party for bridal or baby showers, Mother's Day, or just about any time you want to gather a group of friends.

"Everyone's happy when they're coming for afternoon tea," says Shael Mead, head pastry chef at London's Ham Yard Hotel, whose baking I fell in love with during her earlier stint at another London tea spot, the Dean Street Townhouse. "It's something special that people cherish, and that's why I always put a lot of heart and soul into it." Here's my five-point plan:

1. If nothing else, your afternoon tea must have scones. Mead says scones are the very essence of afternoon tea. Mead says her ideal scone is a bit crusty on the outside and very soft on the inside. It's not flaky, and closer to an American biscuit than the heavy, huge and overly sweet triangles you'll find in coffee shops here.

Serve scones with strawberry jam - homemade is great, even just a quick stove top version, Mead says - and clotted cream, a British specialty akin to a cross between butter and whipped cream.

2. Include a mix of pastries. Afternoon tea typically features a selection of sweets. Think about a mix of textures and flavors, Mead says. Fudgy brownies, fruit jam tarts, and airy meringues or macarons are good building blocks. I'm a fan of infusing white chocolate with Earl Grey tea for delicately aromatic truffles. Willis-Jones suggests making miniature desserts, which look nice and allow your guests the privilege of "sample-size" tastes.

3. Offer real tea. Give your guests a few options to choose from: English Breakfast and Earl Grey (I also love a good Lady Grey, such as from Twinings) are classics. Make your third selection something a little different, maybe fruity or floral, Mead says. One of my favorites is Paris from Harney & Sons, which is an easy-drinking black tea flavored with black currants and vanilla. Whatever you choose, take care in how you make it. "There is a true art to the brew," according to The Cook Book by Tom Parker Bowles (4th Estate, 2016). A few tips from Parker Bowles: "Loose leaf will always give the better pot." Also, use fresh water, but boil twice as much as you need so you can use half to warm up the teapot. Most teas brew in four to five minutes, although greens are more in the one-to-three-minute range. Overbrewing will make your tea bitter. And if you want to use milk, add it first to the cup; this gradually warms the milk and may also protect your teacup from cracks. Figure on two to three cups per person.

4. Do as much as you can in advance. Good advice for any gathering, really. A lot of the aforementioned desserts (brownies, meringues) can survive just fine made at least a day ahead of time, or frozen for longer. Scones are best served freshly baked, but feel free to stash unbaked dough rounds in the refrigerator or freezer.

Assembling sandwich fillings can be early work, as well, so you can put them together at the last minute, or up to an hour or so before your guests arrive. Slice cucumbers or cheese the morning of your tea.

5. Go for a nice, but not too frilly, presentation. Decorate the table simply with flowers from your backyard, or a casual bouquet from the market.

After all, most of us don't have sprawling formal gardens on grand estates in the English rolling hills of Kent or Surrey. But with a little imagination and draped in the sunny warmth of an afternoon tea amid clinking cups and good friends, I'm happy to pretend, at least for a little while.

Makes 17 to 20 two-inch scones

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4 cups flour, (584 grams) plus more as needed

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (84 grams)

2 tablespoons baking powder (36 grams)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup dried currants (optional)

1 cup whole milk, plus more for brushing

3/4 cup heavy cream

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1. Combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. Beat on low speed just to blend. Add the chilled butter; beat on low speed for 4 or 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to look crumbly, with some large chunks. Stop to scrape down the bowl. Add the currants, if using; beat on low speed until evenly distributed. Pour in the milk and heavy cream; beat on low speed for several seconds, just until the liquids are incorporated, to form a soft dough.

2. Lightly flour a work surface. Transfer the dough there and pat it to an even thickness of about 1 inch. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel; let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

4. Flour the edges of your biscuit cutter, then use it to cut out 17 to 20 scones (straight down, without twisting), arranging them at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet as you work and reflouring the cutter each time. Try to reroll the scraps no more than once, as the subsequent rounds of dough may not rise as much in the oven.

5. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with milk. Bake (middle rack) for about 16 minutes, turning the sheet from front to back halfway through, until lightly golden.

6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving, or cool completely before storing.

Notes:

You'll need a 2-inch biscuit cutter. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can quickly work the butter into the flour mixture by hand or with a pastry blender. The scones are best eaten freshly baked, but the rounds of dough can be refrigerated overnight or individually wrapped (unbaked or baked) in plastic and frozen in a zip-top bag for up to a month or two. Defrost before baking or reheating; for the latter, tent loosely with aluminum foil and warm through in a 350-degree oven.

Per piece (based on 20): 200 calories, 4 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fat, 25 milligrams cholesterol, 10 milligrams sodium, no dietary fiber, 5 grams sugar

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