Alice's Tea Cup: Delectable Recipes for Scones, Cakes, Sandwiches, and More from New York’s Most Whimsical Tea Spot

by Haley Fox, Lauren Fox

The delightful sisters and owners of Alice's Tea Cup share nearly one hundred recipes from their charming and wildly popular Manhattan restaurants

For almost ten years, Alice's Tea Cup has been a destination in New York City for locals and tourists alike who crave a scrumptious afternoon tea without airs or pretension. Haley and Lauren Fox learned at an early age that tea was more than just a beverage—it was an event to be shared and protected—and they divulge their tea-making philosophy and dozens of delectable recipes in this beautiful cookbook.

Embodying the mantra "tea turned on its ear," Alice's Tea Cup serves up unique twists to traditional Victorian tea fare, including:

Savories—Lapsang Souchong Smoked Chicken Salad and Cucumber Watercress Sandwiches with Lemon Chive Butter

Baked goods—Banana Nutella Cake and Mint Black Bottom Cupcakes

Sweet treats—Alice'S'mores and Queen of Tarts

Tea selections—from African Dew to Rooibos Bourbon

Specialty drinks—Alice's Tea-jito and Ginger Mar-tea-ni

And of course Alice's world-famous tender, moist scones—including nineteen versions, from pumpkin to peanut butter and jelly to ham and cheese

Haley and Lauren also show you how to throw a personalized "Curiouser and Curiouser" tea party with household props and offer lots of other ways to celebrate with tea and festive food. From salads to scones, pancakes to cupcakes, afternoon tea to evening mar-tea-nis, this fabulous cookbook lets you enjoy Alice's mouthwatering recipes without leaving home.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Tea, Cooking, Food, Food and Drink

229 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2010

Reviews

[ij · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes!!!

Weight gain anticipated.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the restaurant I would want to own in my alternate life. I would buy this cookbook for the scone chapter alone!

[Natasha A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rambles:
Sooo cute! Like REALLY cute!! :D I have found some really wonderful cookbooks lately, and I have to add this one to the list. They have a pumpkin scone recipe!!!!! OMG! Not only that, but they have recipes for all sorts of scones...

* Black Forest Ham and Cheese Scones
* Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
* TURTLE SCONES!!!
* Lavender Earl Grey Scones
* Peppermint Stick Scones
* and sooooo many more

I have a bit of a love affair with scones. It's so hard to find an adequate one, and I can't wait to start making some of my own!
There are also some yummy breakfast, lunch and supper dishes:

* Alice's Curious French Toast Bread Pudding
* Alice's Pumpkin Pancakes (LOVE pumpkin pancakes, I will have to try these!)
* Alice's Vanilla Tea-Infused Granola
* Apple-Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup
* Nutella and Granny Smith Apple Sandwich (OMG YUM!)

Here is a sample recipe from the book (you can find an excerpt of the book on the Amazon website here or you can peruse the book via the Harper Collins Canada website here)

Beets (usually pickled) and goat cheese are one of my most favourite combinations!
And there are so many more recipes! I haven't even mentioned the cookies and cakes (I'll leave those as a surprise!). They have so much in this book! Alice's Coco Loco (spicy hot chocolate), and Mar-tea-nis! Warm Soft Chocolate Cakes (lava cakes)! And then finally, when you think you can't get any more, they cover the basics of brewing tea (see example below)! The very last bit? It's on throwing your own tea party! How incredibly fun is that?
5/5

Who do I recommend to? Do you like any or all of the following, if so then I highly recommend! Baking, cooking, having get together, have a little girl, are throwing a wedding or baby shower, or like tea.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth buying even if just for the scone recipes alone! Oh mercy, I love this book. It is the story of two sisters who started a tea room and they share their recipes with the rest of us. There are Buttermilk scones, Pumpkin scones, Black Forest Ham and Cheese scones, Mixed Berry Scones, Walnut Scones, Peanut Butter and Jelly Scones, Turtle Scones (just like the candy and my favorite scone), Vanilla Bean Scones, Peppermint Stick Scones, Cinnamon Scones, Banana Butterscotch Scones, and even Rice Crispies Scones! There is a unique recipe for "Unclotted Cream" to go with it. There are other unique recipes like Alice's Fruit Omelet, Alice's Curious French Toast Pudding, Alice's Tea Sweet Crepes, soups, salads, sandwiches, main dishes and more plus info on how to brew and serve the perfect cup of tea.

[Belkis Yaiche · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 🌟

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute cookbook. I've tried the very berry scones on cover and the vegan German chocolate cake with coconut/pecan frosting for vegetarian friends. Milk was ok but they didn't eat eggs so this was perfect. I substituted milk for soy milk in the German chocolate cake and it still came out fabulous. The vegan orange cake is next on my to-do list. My husband said the scones were better than Starbucks. That's probably because this recipe has a lot more berries than Starbucks. The book is not all about desserts. It also has interesting recipes on vege burgers, coco loco chocolate milk, etc.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not been disappointed with any of the recipes. I have to say my favourite is the pumpkin scones with carmel glaze. They will make you shiver!! They are just so good!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book filled with both sweet and savory recipes to enjoy with tea! This would make a wonderful gift for any food lover, hostess, or tea aficionado.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books on tea, teatime recipes, and tea parties. Beautiful photos, great tips and excellent recipes. Hoping I can go to one of the NYC locations someday.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really looking forward to trying out many of the recipes in this book! Most of them look very simple and I like the fact that the Fox sisters incorporate tea into much of their cooking and baking. Gives me some new ideas on how to use loose tea for more than just brewing and drinking.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice's Tea Cup includes many wonderful recipes that make my mouth water. I have never been to an Alice's Tea Cup, but the recipes encourage me to make a trek from California to visit one.

What would have made the book even better would be more photos of the food items and not just the patrons to the store or those making the items. I wanted to see the completed items more often.

Also, I am a bit disappointed that they don't give alternatives to their tea flavors. For example, what would be a good substitute for Maté Carnival in the Maté Carnival Egg Salad Sandwiches? What are the flavors involved so that I don't have to order from across the country to get the tea? I did go to the website and search it out (it was not simple to find, either) to get the flavors, but it would be nice if alternative type flavors were listed in the book.

Overall, a nice collection of high tea foods. I'm looking forward to trying some of them out. And on my next trip to New York I will be finding my way to one of their locations to try it out in person!

*I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley.com

[Brianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine, but honestly there were only a handful of recipes I'd actually try.
Shockingly enough I wouldn't try any of the scone recipes....too busy and some of the combinations did not sound good (the first one is a pumpkin scone covered in caramel glaze...that was WAY too much!) The sandwiches looked fine, but not for me. I'm mostly interested in the cookies and cakes because they actually look interesting and tasty (especially the soon-to-be famous mocha cake).

My biggest issue is that I thought these were tea time recipes and yet a lot of the food seems like too much for tea (too big, too rich, etc.). It might just be me, but that's what I kept thinking while I was reading.

I guess I'd recommend it if you're interested in recipes...but it's not my favorite tea time cookbook.

[Ann Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2001, Alice’s Tea Cup opened on Seventy-Third Street in New York, a magical hideaway where tea could be savored with a bit of whimsy and happiness. The success of the Fox sisters is now ours to enjoy in this delightful collection of recipes for scones, teas, cakes, soups and sandwiches from the restaurant menu. Alice’s Tea Cup is a veritable feast for the eyes and palette.

I especially enjoyed the recipes for Green Goddess Soup, White Rabbit Dark Chocolate Mousse, Blueberry Lemon Cake and Turkey Chili. A host of fabulous photographs illuminate each recipe, with easy to follow instructions and serving tips. Excellent gift idea for the cook searching for something a little different.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too cute, too sweet (if that's possible for my sweet-tooth), but tempting all the same. I'd make the Maté Carnival Egg Salad Sandwiches and maybe the Pumpkin Scones. I've always liked the idea of steeping eggs in tea since a tea shop nearby makes them that way. Now I know how to do it too. The trick is to use strong tea. And since I'm making a lot of granola lately, I might try Alice's Vanilla Tea-Infused Granola.

[Patty Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book, and have tried one recipe so far - the vegan orange cake. It was delicious! Two sisters wrote the book about opening up 3 tea rooms in NYC. They include many of their recipes, and most of them sound well worth trying.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to hop on a flight to New York City and immediately go to Alice’s Tea Cup! It’s packed with baking tips as well as recipes for scones, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, soups and salads as well as tea brewing basics and tea-dyeing instructions. Ever wonder why your tea tastes bitter? Chances are you’re overboiling the water or steeping the tea too long!

[Cynthia Rieber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic and lovely

We visited Alice's Tea Cup in 2012 when our daughter was three. We have since moved out of state and celebrate a very special day in February with our own fancy tea party. These recipes took me right back to the day we celebrated at Alice's. My daughter and I can't wait to make some of these recipes for our next tea party.

[Jennifer A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Specialty recipes fill this little cookbook. I have marked my favorites and make them for special occasions or when I want to have a tea party with friends. These are good quality treats with plenty of colorful pictures to inspire.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

This title was a disappointment to me as it had less than twenty recipes for scones. However, there are other recipes for a tea party. This cookbook is compiled by a restaurant in New York City. I did find a couple of interesting scone recipes, Black Forest ham and cheese and bacon cheddar.

[Assh · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many easily veganized and already vegan recipes in here, a great addiction to a tea lover's collection.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ideas, interesting, and simple recipes for great food.

[Ariadne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are ever in NYC, you must try Alice's scones. Hopefully i'll be able to replicate some of these delicious recipes!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just recipes

I really enjoyed reading the history of Alice's Tea Cup and the stories behind the recipes. Looking forward to trying out several of these recipes and having a themed tea party.

[Yasmeen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was shocked when I found out that this book contains the same exact recipe I use for my burgers (that I "created" on my own when I was 12!) Well, minus the 2 teaspoons of ketchup, that I don't add. I don't really like the use of ketchup in cooking but I tried it and it was not noticeable at all.. so hey, why not. That says one thing about the book: it's reliable. I bookmarked a few recipes that I can't wait to try. The Mocha Chocolate Chip Cake is one of them. Though their center focus is scones, they sound quite American and heavy to me. I probably wouldn't even attempt them since I already make great scones.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously just want to move into one of their shops. Next time I am in NYC, I am hitting up one of their "chapters"! The recipes though a bit out of my talent range (and the ingredients a bit out of my price range) but if you're more ambitious than me, I would recommend at least looking through the recipes - they have some great fusions!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing recipes, and I look forward to visiting one of the shops sometime! This is mainly a cookbook, but also a story of the owners and their food philosophy. I love the way each recipe is presented with prefacing comments and sometimes a little history of how the recipe was developed. The accompanying photos (a huge plus for a cookbook) are luscious-looking.

[Laurie Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance....

[Alma · Rating 4 out of 5]

the pumpkin scones are wonderful; much better than Starbucks!

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! I've made several of the recipes and they have all been great. Very colorful photos and easy to follow directions. Makes me want to visit Alice's Tea Cup in NYC.

[Aja Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

some fun recipes in there-- would be interested to try a couple of the scones--yums!