Tea bar

Ingredients:

Mint tea and Earl Grey tea

• Amaretto liqueur

Mint tea

• 3 tbsp of water
• 1 cup fresh mint, crushed with the back of a spoon

Sugar syrup

• 0.5 cups of water
• 1 cup of sugar

Candied lemon peel

• 2 lemons
• 1 cup sugar syrup, see recipe above

Whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. On a large serving tray, arrange the teapots next to a bottle of liqueur, a small pitcher of simple syrup, a bowl of whipped cream, and a plate of candied lemon peel. Invite guests to sample a variety of teas with flavors to suit their tastes.
2. Bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the crushed mint leaves and let steep.
3. Sugar syrup:
   For afternoon tea, make a double batch of sugar syrup. Reserve half for the tea bar, and use the other half to make candied fruit.
   
   Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool. Store the cooled syrup in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 tbsp.
4. Candied lemon peel:
   Output: 12-16 strips
   
   Using a vegetable peeler, peel the yellow part of the lemon rind from end to end, creating 2-2.5 cm (1-1 1/2 in) long strips. Bring a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan to a boil. Add the zest and cook for 1 minute. Drain, then rinse the zest under cold water. Repeat this process 2 more times in a saucepan with freshly boiled water and rinse under cold water. In the same saucepan, combine the zest with 1 cup of sugar syrup. Simmer over medium-low heat until the zest is soft, about 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the zest to parchment paper to dry slightly, about 1 hour.
5. Whipped cream:
   Yield: 2.5 cups
   
   In a large bowl, beat the cream with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated. Transfer the whipped cream to a serving bowl. The whipped cream can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time, covered, and refrigerated.