Do you want to spoil your mum rotten this Mother’s Day? Well, we can’t think of any better way to spend the day together and make her feel extra special than preparing your very own Mother’s Day afternoon tea. Think about it – yummy treats, everything prepared with love, and lovely quality time together!
If this sounds like something you’d love to do for her but have no clue where to start, or just need a little bit of extra inspiration, just keep on reading to discover how you can prepare afternoon tea for Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day afternoon tea food ideas
The main event of any afternoon tea is the food and if you’re wanting to make it with extra love then here are some of our Mother’s Day afternoon tea food ideas. Although if baking and cooking aren’t your forte, then there’s absolutely no shame in going out and buying some foodie bits in either!
Scones
Shop-bought or homemade, an afternoon tea simply isn’t complete without a scone each. Now we won’t even bother getting involved in the whole cream vs jam first debate, all we’re saying is if you want to try making your own then this foolproof scone recipe from Daisies & Pie won’t fail you. You can also add in some dried fruit like sultanas, cranberries, or raisins if you prefer the extra flavour.
Ingredients
- 350g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g unsalted butter
- 50g caster sugar
- 175ml full-fat milk
- 1 egg, beaten
Recipe
- Start by preheating your oven to 220C and greasing a baking tray with some butter – this prevents the scones from sticking.
- Pour your flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add in your butter and rub together between your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs. Next, pour in the sugar and mix together.
- Form a well in the middle, pour in your milk and stir well to create a thick dough.
- Use your hands to fully combine the mixture, be careful to avoid over-handling it.
- Separate the dough into 8 equal blobs.
- Dust a nearby surface with flour and create a scone-like shape then place on the baking tray.
- Crack an egg into a cup and beat well. Brush the tops with your beaten egg.
- Place into the oven for around 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden in colour.
- Remove and place on a cooling rack. Once cool, they’re ready to serve.
Lemon drizzle cake
Coming from Liana’s Kitchen, this recipe for a lemon drizzle cake pairs perfectly with a cup of tea. Delicately light, you’ll probably find your mum sneakily reaching for another piece of this zesty bake when she thinks you’re not looking.
Ingredients
- 200g butter or margarine, softened
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
For the lemon drizzle syrup:
- 60g caster sugar
- 2 lemons, juice
Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 180C and grease your cake tin.
- In a bowl, carefully mix the butter and sugar (try not to let the sugar fly everywhere). Next, crack an egg into the bowl and stir well.
- Use a sift to get the lumps out of the flour over the bowl and gently fold together.
- Add the juice and zest of your lemon and give it all a good final mix together.
- Pop the tin into the oven for 30 minutes or so until your cake is looking golden on top or a skewer into the centre comes out clean.
- For the lemon drizzle, pour your caster sugar into a pan along with the juice of two lemons.
- Carefully heat up the syrup mixture until the sugar disappears.
- Last but not least, use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake and pour the lemon drizzle syrup on top.
Mother’s Day afternoon tea cocktails
Now the effort doesn’t just lie in the food so if you’d like something other than a cup of tea and want to put your own mixology skills to the test, here are a few of our suggestions for afternoon tea cocktails:
Pink Vodka Lemonade
After something a bit fancier than just a bottle of bubbly that will really impress your mum? Sounds like you might both appreciate a tipple like this Pink Vodka Lemonade from Café Delites. A refreshing cocktail, this pretty drink is one which your mum will happily sip on and is ridiculously easy to make.
Ingredients
- ½ cup ice
- 30ml vodka
- 15ml lime juice
- 15ml cranberry juice
- 10ml Malibu
- ¼ litre lemonade
Recipe
- All you need to do is pour the ice, vodka, lime juice, cranberry juice, and Malibu into a glass, leaving the lemonade until last.
Salted Caramel Espresso Martini
If you’re both big coffee lovers and practically can’t make it through the day without a caffeine kick then this Salted Caramel Espresso Martini is the cocktail for you! A sweet twist on the classic cocktail, this recipe comes from Gourmandelle and is ideal for anyone who can’t resist a rich and warming drink.
Ingredients
- 30ml vodka
- 30ml coffee liqueur
- 60ml milk
- 1 shot of freshly brewed espresso
- 15ml salted caramel syrup
- Coffee beans, to garnish (optional)
- Cinnamon or cocoa powder, to garnish (optional)
Recipe
- Fill a shaker with ice.
- Add your vodka, coffee liqueur, milk, espresso, and syrup into a cocktail shaker.
- Hold the shaker together and shake it like it’s nobody’s business.
- Carefully, strain the liquid into a Martini glass.
- To top it off, you can dust with cinnamon or cocoa powder and coffee beans.
Setting up for your Mother’s Day afternoon tea
Not to be overlooked, setting up a stylish scene is key in hosting a Mother’s Day afternoon tea at home. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy lots of things, but it is worth putting that effort into creating an atmosphere that will get a big smile of approval from your mum.
Fresh flowers
Both a great present and a lovely centrepiece for the table, a vase of fresh flowers brightens up a room. Try find a bouquet full of her favourite flowers or you can read our blog on what your favourite flower says about you to find out which you think suits her most.
Fine china
It’s officially time to dust off the fancy plates and glasses you’ve had hidden away for special occasions only. The best way to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea is by eating and drinking from decorative crockery. Bonus point if you have a gorgeous teapot to serve from too.
Three tier cake stand
Now, this is the item that really brings the afternoon tea together. So, if you don’t already have one then this is your reminder to go out and get one immediately! Delicately place all your food onto the stand making sure to keep savoury bits like finger sandwiches at the bottom, scones along with a pot of jam and cream on the middle tier, and all your sweet treats on the top.
Oh and should all else fail or you’ve not left enough time to sort out our Mother’s Day afternoon tea ideas, you can still treat your mum to a trip out somewhere nice like a tea room instead.
The most important thing to remember for the day is to present her with a sweet Mother’s Day card that will have her welling up, and we have plenty of those at thortful. And if you need some gifting inspiration, we’ve already written about the best Mother’s Day gifts ranging from unusual options to ideas for Grandma.
