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Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea
If breakfast in bed feels a little predictable, this Mother’s Day arvo tea is the perfect way to mix things up. Think a relaxed, graze-all-afternoon spread that’s just as easy to host at home as it is to pack up and take on the road. There’s something for every kind of snacker here, from crispy air fryer devilled eggs and bite-sized chicken Waldorf crackers to buttery cheddar and mustard scones, classic cucumber tea sandwiches, and sweet little jam lamingtons to finish. It’s the kind of spread that invites everyone to slow down, pour a cuppa (or a glass of bubbles), and celebrate Mum in the most delicious way possible.
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients :
makes 8 sandwiches
Cooking notes:
makes 8 sandwiches
- 250g cream cheese
- 3 Lebanese cucumbers
- 1 bunch chives
- 1 loaf white bread
Method
- Remove cream cheese from the fridge 30–60 minutes before starting to bring it to room temperature. This makes it much easier to spread.
- Wash the Lebanese cucumbers and slice them very thinly (2–3 mm). Pat the slices dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Finely chop 3/4 bunch of chives (reserve remaining chives for tying the sandwiches if you want that pretty look from the photos).
- Cut 16 medium-thick slices of bread. Lay out on a clean bench and spread cream cheese onto each slice.
- Arrange cucumber slices evenly over the cream cheese on 8 slices of bread. Top with the remaining 8 slices of bread, pressing down gently to secure.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, remove the crusts. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally to make triangles, or into three fingers.
- Spread cream cheese onto one cut edge of each sandwich. Gently press the cream cheese side into the sliced chives to form a ‘crust’. Optional: gently tie each sandwich (or a few showcase ones) with a reserved chive stem, as shown in the photos.
- To serve, arrange sandwiches on a platter.
- For the best texture, serve sandwiches immediately, or cover with a slightly damp tea towel and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.
- Want to make more tea sandwiches? Other filling options include Radish & Herb Butter, Roast Beef & Horseradish, Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese, and Curried Egg.
Want to make this at home? We used Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese Block, Lebanese Cucumbers, and Abhi's Organic Brioche Loaf from the Dinner Twist Marketplace.
Chicken Waldorf Crackers
Ingredients :
Cooking notes:
- 100g aioli
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 red apples
- 3 celery sticks
- 1 packet parsley (approximately 10g)
- 150g cooked chicken
- 1 packet of large crackers
Method
- To make the dressing, add aioli, lemon juice and honey to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Roughly chop walnuts, thinly slice apples and celery, and finely chop parsley (including tender stems). Add to dressing as you go.
- Roughly chop chicken or use 2 forks to shred. Add to bowl, and toss until all ingredients are well combined and coated in the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon Waldorf salad onto large crackers. Arrange on a platter to serve.
- The Waldorf chicken salad can be made up to 1 day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. This actually improves the flavour as the ingredients have time to mingle. Add the apples just before assembling if you want them extra crisp.
- Add finely chopped celery leaves or fresh dill for extra herb flavour.
- Turn it into a lighter version by serving it in lettuce cups instead of crackers.
Want to make this at home? We used Local Red Apples, Fine Foods Aioli, and Shale Point Artisan Crackers Fig & Honey from the Dinner Twist Marketplace.
Air Fryer Devilled Eggs
Ingredients :
Makes 8
Want to make this at home? We used Fancy Hank's Original Mayo, Urban Forager Organic Green Tomato Chutney, and Beerenberg Dijon Mustard from the Dinner Twist Marketplace.
Makes 8
- 8 large eggs
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 3 tsp relish or chutney
- 3 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ - 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 packet dill (approximately 10g)
Method
- Bring a saucepan ¾ full of water to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to gently lower 6 eggs into the boiling water. Boil for 8 minutes for firm yolks. Remove and immediately cool under cold running water. Continue cooling until the eggs are easy to handle.
- Peel the eggs, halve them lengthways, and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl. Set the egg white halves aside.
- Add the mayonnaise, sweet relish and Dijon mustard to the yolks. salt, and pepper to the yolks. Mash with a fork until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the coating.
- Set up three shallow bowls for crumbing:
Bowl 1: Plain flour
Bowl 2: Remaining 2 eggs, lightly beaten with salt and pepper
Bowl 3: Mix panko crumbs, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. - Preheat your air fryer to 180°C.
- Working with one egg white at a time, dip it into the flour (shake off excess), then into the egg wash, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Press the crumbs on gently so they stick well. Place on a tray and lightly spray all over with cooking oil.
- Place the coated egg whites cut-side down in the air fryer basket (in batches if needed). Air fry at 180°C for 8–10 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip them over and cook for another 4–6 minutes until the tops are golden and crunchy.
- Transfer the crispy egg whites to a serving plate.
- Spoon the yolk mixture into a piping bag (or a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped). Pipe generously into the crispy egg white cups.
- Garnish with a light sprinkle of paprika and a small frond of fresh dill.
Cooking notes:
- The eggs are best eaten fresh after air frying. The filling can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge.
- If you don’t have an air fryer, preheat your oven to 200°C. Place crumbed egg whites on a wire rack set over a baking tray (this helps them crisp on all sides). Lightly spray with oil and bake for 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crunchy. They won’t be quite as quick or evenly crisp as the air fryer, but they still turn out delicious.
Cheese & Mustard Ploughman's Scones
Ingredients :
Cooking notes:
- 2 1/2 cups plain flour (plus extra for rolling out scones)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 170g natural yoghurt
- 2 tsp mustard
- 100g shredded cheese
- 2 tbsp milk
To serve: - 200g ham
- 1 jar pickled baby cucumbers
- 1 jar pickled onions
- 1 jar tomato chutney or relish
- 100g sharp cheddar cheese
Method
- Set oven to 200ºC.
- Combine plain flour, baking powder, salt and dried oregano in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add yoghurt, mustard and 1/2 cup water to a jug (or small bowl). Whisk until well combined.
- Add to yoghurt mixture and cheese to flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Sprinkle a little flour onto the bench. Use a rolling pin to roll dough to roughly 2cm thick. Use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut out scones. Arrange on a lined oven tray as you go.
- Brush tops of scones with milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
- Arrange scones on a serving platter with ham, pickled baby cucumbers, pickled onions, tomato chutney and cheese.
- Get the Cheesy Scones with Onion Marmalade Kit from the Dinner Twist Marketplace for an all-in-one option!
- Don’t want to roll the sconces out? Arrange the dough on a lined oven tray and shape it into a rectangle (2cm thick). Cut into 12 pieces, separating slightly.
- Before baking, top scones with a little shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese.
Want to make this at home? We used Cheesy Scones with Onion Marmalade Kit, Brownes Vintage Aged Cheddar, and Mondo Butcher & Grocer Free Range Boneless Leg Ham from the Dinner Twist Marketplace.
Cheat’s Jam Lamingtons
Ingredients :
Cooking notes:
- 1 x store-bought unfilled sponge cake (approx. 450g)
- 1 jar (approx. 300–370g) cherry jam
- 2½ cups desiccated coconut
- Dried, preserved or freeze-dried cherries (for decoration)
Method
- Carefully slice the sponge cake in half horizontally using a serrated knife to create two even layers.
- Spread one layer generously with cherry jam (use about ⅓ of the jar, depending on how jammy you like it). Place the second sponge layer on top to create a sandwich. Gently press down.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the filled sponge into 9 even squares.
- Place the squares on a tray and pop them into the freezer for 20–30 minutes. This firms them up and makes coating much easier.
- Gently heat the remaining cherry jam in a small saucepan or microwave until runny and smooth.
- Spread the desiccated coconut generously over a large plate or shallow tray.
- Working with one square at a time (use a fork poked into the base to help), dip each cake square into the warm cherry jam, coating all sides. Let any excess jam drip off.
- Immediately roll the jam-coated square in the desiccated coconut, pressing gently so it sticks evenly all over. Place on a lined oven tray.
- Repeat with the remaining squares. Top each lamington with a whole cherry (secure with a tiny dab of jam if needed).
- Leave the lamingtons to set for at least 1 hour at room temperature, then serve on a platter.
- You can slice, fill, and cut the sponge into squares up to 2 days ahead (store in an airtight container in the fridge).
- Fun flavour variations! Use the same method above, but swap the filling and coating to create these delicious alternatives:
- Chocolate Hazelnut Lamingtons: Fill with chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella) and coat in warmed chocolate hazelnut spread mixed with a little milk or cream before rolling in coconut. Top with chopped toasted hazelnuts.
- Apricot & Almond Lamingtons: Fill with apricot jam and a sprinkle of toasted flaked almonds. Coat in warmed apricot jam and roll in coconut. Top with extra toasted almond flakes.
- Blueberry & Lemon Lamingtons: Fill with blueberry jam mixed with lemon zest. Coat in warmed blueberry jam (or mixed berry jam) and roll in coconut. Top with fresh blueberries or a dusting of lemon zest.
