Tea with cookies: recipes and traditions

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Tea came to Russia from China, and even the date of this significant event is known. In 1567, brave Cossacks brought it as a gift to the Russian Tsar from the Chinese Emperor. As a result, for many years the tradition of giving precious tea to boyars and nobles reigned in our country. Over time, the drink spread everywhere, and it began to be served at the table in the homes of not only the nobility and we althy merchants, but also the common people.

As a result, today any guest, invited or uninvited, has the right to count on at least tea and cookies. Moreover, the guest may refuse the treat, but the host simply cannot refuse to offer it.

Russian Tea Party

Describe the traditions of Russian tea drinking not a single person is able to. The thing is that over the past 100-150 years there have been such significant changes - both in the way of the family, and in the rules for receiving guests, and in society - that it is no longer possible to say whether this or that tradition is primordially Russian or whether it is borrowed from other cultures phenomenon.

Today set"tea, coffee and cookies" is present in the daily life of a person in any situation. This is the usual snack at work - two hours before lunch and a couple of hours after it. Tea with sweets is often consumed after lunch and dinner - not the he althiest habit, but all people sin with this. Sometimes tea with cookies is breakfast.

But what about the traditions of modern Russian tea drinking? Tea is, first of all, an occasion for a leisurely and long conversation. During gatherings over a cup of fragrant hot drink, important issues and minor everyday problems are resolved, ways of reconciliation are sought and, what can we hide, the bones of all acquaintances are washed.

It is not customary to sit down for tea with friends if there is not at least half an hour of free time left. This drink does not allow haste. And the sweets served with it make this pastime even more attractive.

Stereotypes about drinking tea in our country

You can often see a samovar in a photo of Russian-style tea and cookies. For some reason, foreigners are sure that people in our country cannot do without this relic of the past. Indeed, it is still used in some places - at fairs and other events, to emphasize the national flavor. But ordinary people do not have this bulky unit - everyone is content with ordinary and electric kettles.

Another stereotype about saucers and coasters doesn't make much sense either. Sipping tea from a flat plate with sugar in it is something that can only be seen on the theater stage. Yes andcup holders are a thing of the past as quick-heating glass containers have been replaced by handy faience mugs.

How to serve tea to guests

Recently tea with biscuits often means that the guest will be offered a tea bag, boiling water, a cup and biscuits from the nearest supermarket. But this is not the best option, especially for a dear guest. Tea should be served freshly brewed, and sweets - only fresh. In today's world, handmade cookies for a particular guest show how happy you are to have that person in your house.

Many people know how to brew tea correctly, and everyone knows that you must first pour boiling water over the teapot. But few people think that preparing tea leaves and boiling water separately is wrong. The drink must be brewed in a large teapot and poured into cups. And diluting the tea leaves with water kills all the taste of tea.

Sweets

You can serve any sweets for tea. Drying, bagels and large lump sugar were considered traditional Russian treats. Today, tea is served with cookies, waffles, sweets, marmalade, chocolate (although it clogs the taste of tea) and any homemade pastries. Moreover, the sweeter the accompaniment, the less sugar you need to put in the drink. Well, connoisseurs do not sweeten the aromatic drink at all, rightly believing that sugar steals the taste.

Quick cookies for tea

Homemade baking doesn't have to be time consuming. Sometimes half an hour is enough to prepare simple cookies. For example, veryyou can quickly cook torchetti with cinnamon.

Ingredients: 120g butter, 1 cup flour, ½ cup sugar, baking soda and vinegar (or baking powder), warm water, cinnamon and s alt.

You need to cook like this:

1. Sift the flour well several times and mix with a pinch of s alt and a teaspoon of baking powder (or soda quenched with table vinegar).
2. Combine with soft but not melted butter and stir.
3. Add four tablespoons of boiled warm water. Knead the dough.
4. Mix a couple of tablespoons of cinnamon with sugar (in equal volumes).
5. Roll out the dough and cut into strips of 8-10 cm.
6. Connect them into rings and sprinkle each with cinnamon sugar.
7. Cover the baking sheet with baking paper, put the rings on it. They should be placed at a distance from each other, as the dough will grow noticeably.
8. Send to the oven preheated to 180 ⁰С. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then raise the temperature to 220°C to brown the pastries instantly.
9. Remove from the pan and rest under a towel.

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

One of the most delicious tea cookies is ginger. They are spicy and very sweet. The perfect time for gingerbread tea is in winter, when it's snowy and cold outside, and a hot mug is in hand, and the smell of cinnamon and orange is all around.

Ingredients: 120 g butter, 3 tablespoons honey, ¾ cup sugar, a couple cups flour, cinnamon, powdered ginger, cocoa, zest from anycitrus, soda.

Cooking:

1. Melt butter and honey for a couple, add a pinch of s alt and a teaspoon of soda. Add sugar.
2. Pour flour into a deep bowl, add to it one teaspoon of ginger and cinnamon and two of cocoa. Put the zest from half a lemon or orange there. Shuffle.
3. Combine all the ingredients and knead the dough. Remove for half an hour in the refrigerator.
4. Roll out and cut out cookies - not thin, up to 0.5 cm thick.
5. Bake at 180⁰C for about 10-15 minutes. The cookies bake quickly, so stay close to the oven.

Happy tea!