Texas Tea Party

An Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin's Lobby Lounge

Published in the April 2005 issue of Austin Monthly magazine

It is hard to believe but the English custom of afternoon tea originated with a hungry duchess. Unable to wait for lavish late evening dinners, Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) made a scandalous habit of ordering sandwiches, sweets and tea in the privacy of her dressing room. It was only a matter of time before friends dropped by unannounced and caught the duchess cake in hand. The clever duchess invited her friends to stay for a clandestine cup and the custom of afternoon tea was born. Eventually hostesses all over England were inviting guests, male and female, for a cozy chat and servings of sandwiches and sweets on fine porcelain.

The Lobby Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin offers tea with a Texas twist and appears more like a cattle baron's ranch than an afternoon visit with a duchess. The "crystal chandelier" hanging in the entrance is a rusty wrought iron affair hung with natural quartzite crystals. Mounted hunting trophies and an oil painting of cowboys adorn stucco walls. A cowhide couch and plush chairs line a row of windows overlooking a garden and the glistening waters of Town Lake. Yet, this quintessentially Texas setting offers a unique twist on an English-style afternoon tea?

Having made reservations a few days in advance, I took my seat at a table set with linen and Bavarian porcelain where the waitress offered me a wide variety of teas. I chose Darjeeling, allowing the tea to steep just long enough for the hot water to coax open the leaves before pouring it through a silver strainer and into the cup. Tea steeped more than five minutes or so becomes terribly bitter. No sooner had I twisted a slice of lemon into my steaming cup of tea than the waitress brought out a three tiered stand of treats.

According to English tradition, when served a three-tiered tray, the bottom plate holds a variety of tiny sandwiches cut into various shapes. The middle plate holds scones and quick breads hot out of the oven. The top, and most decadent tier of all, holds an assortment of dainty confections. During the course of an afternoon tea, each tier is treated as a separate course of a three-course meal, starting with the sandwiches on the bottom and enjoying treats from each tier in turn all the way to the top.

The Four Seasons served three types of sandwiches on the bottom tray. The first was a rectangular, mint cream cheese, with thin slices of cucumber. The square sandwiches were a rich egg salad on a peppered brioche. The triangular sandwiches were sumptuous smoked salmon and dill on a marbled rye. Sampling the sandwiches, I remembered to save room for the scones.

Scones by themselves are a light and simple biscuit. But, coupled with condiments of lemon curd, and Devonshire cream the results are devastating to the diet. Lemon curd, when home made fresh like at the Four Seasons, is to die for! Made of egg yolks, lemon zest, juice, butter, and sugar, the whole thing is whisked over medium heat, then chilled. In addition to the lemon curd, was a bowl of Devonshire cream, a combination of whipped cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, powdered sugar and vanilla. At the Four Seasons, the both the Devonshire cream and the lemon curd come topped with a swirl of whipped cream and sprig of mint leaves.

And how does one eat a scone at afternoon tea? First, you take a scone and places it on small tea plate. Then, you put dollops of Devonshire cream and lemon curd on the tea plate next to the scone. If the scone is large enough, slice it in half, much like a biscuit. Then, using a bread knife, put just enough of the Devonshire cream and lemon curd as could be eaten in one, elegant bite. Then, repeat until the scone, and condiments on the tea plate are gone. At the Four Seasons, the current scones with lemon curd and Devonshire cream were fantastic.

The quartet of confections on the top tier included Petit Fours, orange éclairs, praline pecan tartlets, and apple-ginger mousse in chocolate cups. The Petit Fours were tiny, multi-layered sponge cakes filled with a pistachio cream marzipan and topped with decorations of delicate chocolate filigree. The éclairs had a hint of orange liqueur in the creamy filling and a dark chocolate base. The Praline Pecan tartlets were tasty enough. The last of the four sweets were little thimble-sized chocolate cups filled with an apple ginger mousse.

While the sweets on top were terrific, I felt the continual urge to go back down a tier to the scones and accompanying lemon curd and Devonshire cream. For these are perfect compliments to a hot cup of Darjeeling sipped at a leisurely hour. So, while the city hurries about on business, afternoon tea at the Four Seasons feels almost like a trip to a spa. While the city hurries about on business, afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge is a comforting respite from the daily grind. Savoring scones with friends in a cattle baron's surroundings provides a uniquely Texas Twist to afternoon tea.