Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chives, finely chopped
sliced bread of your choice, with the crusts removed
stocks of chives leaves

1. Mix mayonnaise with eggs, chives, salt and pepper.

2. Spread each slice of bread with a layer of butter, and then egg mixture. Top with second slice of bread.

3. To garnish, cut chives in 2 inch lengths, and take 2 or 3 and push the ends into the top bread, standing them up. You may have to poke a hole in the top bread with a toothpick first to make the insertion easier.

Deviled Ham Tea Sandwiches

1 1/4 cups finely chopped ham
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
sliced bread of your choice, with the crusts removed
grape or cherry tomatoes

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

2. Spread a slice of bread with the mixture and top with another slice of bread.

3. Using a serrated knife, cut the sandwiches in triangles or thirds (rectangles).

4. To garnish, attach a tomato to the top of each sandwich with a toothpick.

English Scones

1 3/4 cups cake flour
4 tsp. baking powder
5 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
5 Tbsp. sugar
(Optional) 1/2 cup currants, raisins, or chocolate chips. I’ve even used frozen blueberries and they were delicious.
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten, for glaze

1. Sift cake flour and baking powder into a medium bowl.

2. Cut the butter and sugar into flour to form a fine crumble.

3. Make a well in center, and add the milk and the optional ingredients. Knead the dough very lightly three or four times.

4. Place the dough on generously floured surface and divide the dough in half and pat into two six-inch circles, slightly taller in the middle.

5. Cut circles into fourths and place on a cookie sheet.

6. Brush tops with lightly beaten egg yolk. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.

7. Bake scones at 400 degrees, until lightly golden on top, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

Scones are good with just butter or serve them with Lemon Curd, Berry Jam, and Mock Devonshire Cream.

Lemon Curd

Zest of 4 fresh lemons
Juice of 4 fresh lemons
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces
2 cups sugar

1. In the top of a large double boiler, combine all ingredients. Place over simmering water and stir until sugar is dissolved.

2. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and smooth.

3. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Great with scones.
Makes about 1 pint.

Mock Devonshire Cream

3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbs sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1. Combine cream cheese, sugar and salt, and blend well.

2. Stir in the whipping cream and beat until mixture is stiff.

3. Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled with scones.

Caesar Vegetable Dip

2 cups mayonnaise, reduced-fat, if desired
2 (2-ounce) cans anchovies, undrained
1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced green onion, white only
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons capers, drained

1. In a blender or food processor, blend together first six ingredients. Turn into serving dish, stir in capers and cover and refrigerate until serving.

2. If desired, top with additional drained capers before serving with Vegetable Dippers.

Makes 2 1/2 cups.

*Vegetable Dippers: Fresh snow peas or sugar snap peas, baby carrots, fresh radishes, cucumber slices, green onions, jicama sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets.

Recipe provided courtesy of Pork: The Other White Meat.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Chocolate covered strawberries are so elegant and look harder to prepare than they really are. You can dip the strawberries by inserting a toothpick in the top or you can simply dip them by holding the leaves and top of the strawberry.

16 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

1. Wash the strawberries under running water. Do not pick off the leaves. Drain on paper towels and make sure they are dry before dipping.

2. Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries, if using that method of dipping.

3. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth.

4. Dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture about ½ to ¾ of the way up the berry.

5. Lay the berry on waxed paper to set up.