I wouldn’t call myself a girly girl.
Sure, I like to wear nice clothes and slap on a bit of lippy every day but I don’t surround myself with pretty, frothy stuff. I’m more of a design aesthetic girl.
Besides, just quietly, I’m positive Mr SY would not cope should I suddenly turn our entire house into a sea of pastel-gelato-coloured loveliness.
But something comes over me like a whitewash of shabby chic any time someone happens to mention High Tea.
I become THAT girly girl.
I become the girl who happily makes two batches of cupcakes because the first batch was more muffin like on account of not being able to correctly calculate how to double a recipe.
I become the girl who goes out and buys pink roses, musk sticks and raspberry bullets.
And I become the girl who’s happy to stick out her pinky for the occasion.
This High Tea occasion?
Not that my girlfriends and I ever need much of an excuse for an occasion (just a semi-clear schedule) but I was asked to trial the new Twinings Assam Bold tea – the strongest blend ever available in Australia.
I didn’t need to be asked twice because once my morning coffee is done and dusted I’m a tea nut. I always have a pot of something on the go.
So, I started the email chain between us and within a few hours we had a date, a venue and the loan of some pretty special china from which to sample the Assam Bold.
One girlfriend is a collector of three-piece cup, plate and saucer sets. Another … wait for this … has her Nana’s Royal Albert set from the UK. Her Nana used to share stories with my girlfriend about the Twinings tea van coming around to sell tea to the people in their village.
It was meant to be.
And just up to me to come up with a menu befitting a bold, malty tea.
Twinings Assam Bold High Tea menu
Gluten-free chicken salad sandwiches
Salmon and cucumber crudites
Gluten-free vanilla cupcakes
Macarons
Assorted lollies
Fancy cupcake holders were called for … yes they were
I’d love to tell you I baked the macarons but I’d be lying. The pink ones were raspberry dark chocolate and the white, filled with lemon curd – from Elliotts Fine Food
How good are raspberry white chocolate bullets?
It wasn’t all about the sugar high …
But it kind of was 😉
The Assam Bold got a big thumbs up from the girls. It had guts but with a smooth caramel-malt kind of kick. I drink my tea straight up – no milk or sugar – and could sip on this all day.
But I got to thinking.
The kind of bold kick in this tea would be perfectly matched to a special kind of drink. A summer tea drink, if you like. A summer tea drink with a kick of its own. And iced tea cocktail blend of loveliness.
Are you getting my drift?
So as the balmy afternoon sun started to dip on to my girlfriends’ deck, we indulged and imagined for a couple of hours that we didn’t have to go home and make dinner or run kids’ baths.
We sipped on our glasses of Assam Bold Ginger Fling and solved the problems of the first world. As you do.
Twinings Assam Bold Ginger Fling
Ingredients
1l of ice cold Assam Bold tea
1l organic ginger beer
1/2 cup gin (can leave out for a non-alcoholic version)
One lime, thinly sliced
Crushed ice
1. Brew up 1 litre of Twinings Assam Bold tea. One bag will suffice. Allow to cool in fridge.
2. Into a large glass jug, pour the iced tea, ginger beer, gin and lime slices.
3. Pour over ice into tumblers and serve.
I think I’ll be whipping up a jug of Ginger Fling quite regularly this summer. How about you?
WIN
Now, see that wooden Twinings tea chest pictured above next to the Ginger Fling? It’s a bit special, isn’t it? Well, thanks to Twinings, I’ve got one to give away (filled with tea of course and valued at $115) to one Styling You reader. To enter, leave a comment below telling me what you would serve up with a pot of Assam Bold Tea. The competition opens October 9, 2012 and closes October 19, 2012. Australian entries only, sorry. Entries will be judged on creativity and originality. The winner will be notified by email and details will be published here. For full terms and conditions, visit here.
Comments 113
For me, this is a very simple question, that deserves a simple answer. Seeing I’m busy trying to give up sugar (boring I know) I would bake a vanilla sponge cake filled with delicious jam & cream and wash it all down with the Twinings Assam Bold Tea….I don’t think there would be anything better than that….
I’m a bit useless at anything baking or cooking, so I would probably serve it up with macarons and slices from my local bakery. Lazy AND delicious! ♥
Tea is always served best with great company, homemade scones with jam and cream…. MMMMmmm yum
I’d hark back to era of the British Raj and serve it with Tiffin! Delicious Indian afternoon snacks would complement the Bold Flavour!
Definitely one of my shortbread biscuits, made from my mum’s traditional scottish recipe. We never had a cup of tea at her house without one!
Assam Bold Tea sounds like the perfect partner for cucumber sandwiches, served at high tea of course 🙂
home made lemon slice and fantastic company
Vietnamese rice paper rolls.mmmmmm. they go good with anything!
What I serve wouldn’t really matter,
So long as Brad Pitt is the serving platter.
Homemade Viennese Shortbread. Yummy ribbons of shortbread half dipped in chocolate. They melt in your mouth, and are perfect with a good strong cup of tea.
One of my favourites – orange and poppyseed cake. It isn’t too rich, so you could still appreciate the flavour of the tea!
Miniature key lime pies and little lemon coconut cakes complete with nannas lacy doilies
Devonshire tea, with plenty of fresh whipped cream and strawberry jam
I would serve it with my special orange almond cake, the bold aromatic tea would go beautifully with this cake.
A sushi feast….I enjoy several mugs of green tea with my sushi but I’m keen to try the Assam Bold.
Assam Bold Ginger Fling sounds refreshing and therapeutic. I would go for rice crackers and avocado dip as a nice relaxing spring afternoon tea on the patio with good friends
Just a simple pack of timtams so we could do the timtam slam!
I would serve this tea with my favourite blueberry muffins, while lounging on a banana lounge in my tropical garden with the sound of the water trickling in the pond and reading a good book.
thinly cut cucumber sandwiches, of course,and smoked salmon ones, too. then, a strawberry mousse slice, a chocolate fudge brownie and to finish, a mini trifle in a lovely glass container topped with a mini doughnut- different but can be very stylish
Ideally some lovingly and painstakingly baked and decorated delicate cupcakes however with the home currently having a toddler in residence (aka Mr Terrible Two), I believe half eaten bits of toast and biscuits would be more likely!
I’ve always wanted to try tea crusted meat,
It’s supposed to be an infused treat!
With it’s strong Assam taste,
There’s sure to be no waste!
nothing like the essential tasting cuppa tea with a smooth melt in your mouth strawberry and creme macaroon
Best lippy, worst dressed, best beauty buys, whats next
I’ll tell you what ‘floats my boat’ iff you tell me what’s yours
when’s our next BFF tea date …
by the way this Assam Gold is great!!
I’m a fan of chocolate coated teddy bickies at the moment – they go withy everything, but banana bread would also be a treat.
White chocolate cupcakes woudl be perfect.
Also what are the pink bead things on the cupcakes they look yum
Hi Kristina … they’re cake toppers like little pink chocolate maltesers – YUM!
scones with jam and cream and an Assam Bold tea 🙂
home made scones with fresh whipped cream straight from the farm
I would serve up my Mum’s secret recipe chocolate cake, it is so good that everyone thats tried it has asked for the recipe.
3 vital ingredients for accompanying Assam bold tea
Ginger mararoons, finger sandwiches and me.
I’ve yet to try the Assam Bold Tea, but I think I’d bake some coffee and almond biscotti (or maple and hazelnut??) to serve with it, and maybe some mascarpone stuffed figs with burnt sugar on the side.
That’s if I were to serve it hot, straight from the pot.
With the hot days in Brisbane at the moment, I love a hot black tea in the early evening to relax with friends as the city lights come on.
It’d also be worth a try served black, in a short Turkish coffee glass, with a shot of whiskey! 🙂
I would need to make my wickedly rich sticky date muffins, with the evil butterscotch sauce accompanying such a malty cuppa. I have a toothache thinking about it:)
When serving tea I believe in keeping it simple. Simply serve with hot scones, homemade jam which would balance the ginger and fresh cream! Cant beat it!!
definitely some delicious scones with cream – their light flavour would be the perfect match to the strong flavour and aroma of assam bold!
Twinings Assam Bold would be the perfect start to my day and totally complimented by a scrumptious Indian Omelette! Yum!
I would serve this up with my hubby on the side to wrangle the kids so I can enjoy the cup of tea, strong and hot, as it should be (just like my Hubby)
If i won the beautiful Twinings Assam Bold Tea I’d love to serve it to my mum on her birthday, in her favourite vintage bone china floral cup with a big slice of white chocolate, macadamia and mixed berry cake! Her favourite tea and treat would make her 53rd birthday complete!
I would serve up something sweet homemade vanilla slices YUM
well with lime and ginger the as the main ingredients i would serve up gluten free orange sryup cupcakes decorated with lemon and lime curled skins on top and a lil orange cream cheese on the side to taste that will leave you mouth watering for more
My famous pistashio bickies!
To compliment a pot of Assam Bold Tea I would do the bold thing and have a table full of blue chocolate mousse served in delicious crystal cups and match it with blue and white macarons displayed on an antique lace creamy tablecloth.
There’s only one thing I would serve with a pot of Assam Bold Tea, and that is my Mum’s scones. With home-made jam. And some sort of delicious dollop cream. Afternoon tea *bliss*!
That looks so wonderful and the Gin Fling I will be trying for sure.
My grandmother used to buy me those pretty cups and saucers as a teenager. The sad thing is that I was so unappreciative and they were not my style at all at the time. I was all dark and a punk. I probably tossed them (seriously). Now of course I collect them and I often think of poor old Nanna spending all that money on me for nought.
She was an old English lady who loved tradition. Therefore whenever I have an afternoon tea, I feel Iowe it to her to always include some of her favourite tea time eats. Even though there were no yummy cakes to speak of.
There was always lots of hot tea with,
Egg salad sandwiches, without the crusts, cut into quarters. Small roast beef sandwiches with horseradish, or cucumber, radish and basil sandwiches. Prosciutto wrapped around mozzarella and chopped egg, tomato and mint in slices of celery and cucumber cups with chopped chicken, apples and raisin salad. Then the second course of scones made with blueberries, strawberries or raisins and served with jam and clotted cream or Devonshire cream.
Wonder whether she has ever forgiven me really, lol.
I like an old-fashioned date and walnut loaf, spread with real butter. Yum!
I’d have Twinings Assam Bold at breakfast to kick start my day and I’d serve it with toast and Marmalade.
For me, nothing beats a lemon tart to nibble on with a bold tea. I love how it’s *bite* offsets the tea, well for me anyway!
Served with lots of friends and abundance of laughter letting Twinings Assam Bold Tea what it does best- bringing friends together!
Sumptiously sweet shortbread would defintely be, the perfect pairing for this gorgeous bold tea.
Not wanting to take away from the taste of the tea. I would serve melting moments, Dainty Petit Fours and scones and cream. Served with ribbon sandwiches of cucumber, egg and lettuce, and creamy chicken. The trick is to not over power your taste buds and enjoy the tea.
I would make my Nan’s special jelly cakes that she used to make for us, they were sponges cut up lamington size, but rolled in unset jelly and coconut, they would be delicious with Assam Bold Tea..
some scones with cream and jam,, some warm banana bread with butter. mmm
With a pot of Assam Bold Tea I would dish up the gossip in the neighbourhood.
What to serve with Twinings Assam Bold tea!? Well…. my lovely figs mini-muffins sprinkled with cinnamon…. and the tea chest would go perfect with my new Japanese tea set… thanks for the opportunity to win it, Nikki 😀
What heavenly place is this? What nectar are you drinking in those fairy made cups? Why did you make me drool all over the keyboard at 8:4 in the morning? 🙂 I am from Darjeeling Nikki and Assam is 5 hours from where I stay. I only started packaged Assam tea once I moved to Mumbai, and twinnings is my favorite. It closest to the tea we used to buy back home. I don’t know if you would be interested in trying this with warm milk and sugar, but if you are- I can assure you that you are in for a treat. Where I stay we have them with warm butter cakes 😀
I’ll serve some French crêpes, with a selection of fillings such as chestnut cream, salted caramel, dark chocolate sauce and Bonne Maman strawberry jam!
Chocolate Mud cake – go ‘Muddy’ marvellous together!
For me nothing goes better with a pot of Assam Bold Tea than scones with jam and cream.
Home made pods, made from ginger snap biscuits, caramel, and creamy milk chocolate. x
I tried Twinings Assam Bold the other day, I love it. It is my favourite, such a full flavour and to complement it I would serve shortbread biscuits
Pumpkin date/cranberry cake is the perfect match for a tea that suits those who love ti strong, suits guys and gals.
Homemade Caramel Slice with chunks of walnuts and covered in thick dark chocolate! Perfect!
I love Assam tea, so will give this a go, though I prefer a pot to a bag. The ginger fling cocktail sounds fabulous. We have to be alcohol free for the next couple if months – sad but true – so I will try out the no gin version. Sounds like a plan for the weekend; with the smoked salmon crudités, oh my!
I would be serving up a good sense of humor, great advise and fantastic company
Home made cream buns, and I mean completely home made yeast buns, whipped cream and jam from the strawberries in our garden. A match made in heaven with Assam bold tea.
Assam tea being full-bodied and merging well with cream, milk, or lemon. I would grab my full bodied besties and get them all to make there famous desserts. Having a morning full of fun, laughter and relaxing is the only way!!!
I’ve always loved ginger with mango so I’d serve up some delicate fresh mango slices, that had been drizzled with honey and blessed with lashings of fresh whipped cream! Picture this: sipping a tall glass of icy-cold Assam Bold Ginger Fling and endulging in a bowl of the mango whilst reclining in a comfy deckchair on the back verandah. The sun’s golden rays caressing your face as the sun slowly sets after a warm Spring afternoon! Heaven!
tea, scones with jam and cream, with chocolate dipped strawberries on the site to have your own fun- who says you cant have your cake and eat it too! YUM! Nothing beats a good cuppa with the chocolate dipped strawberries to really set the mood, what more could a girl ask for?
good conversation
and a light afternoon breeze under a tree
I’m not a coffee or even a cocktail girl… I love tea. And sweets, for that matter. I remember asking for a mahogany tea box with velvet lining for my 20th birthday. I’d seen one in a fancy restaurant in Europe and developed a fantasy about how my undergraduate housemates and I ought to linger around the kitchen table over our selected infusions and play bridge they way I imaged the most deeply interesting, sophisticated adults did. I never got that tea box – it was too obscure a request – but if I did get it now, I’d use it in much the same way. As a thing for my family and friends to gather around after dinner to make the conversation last just a little bit longer. (I’ve long since given up teaching them to play bridge.) I’d serve our Twinings teas with sweet little finishes that could be nibbled while playing some less difficult game. There’d be ginger tamarind in the cookie jar in summer, little cubes of apple cake stacked on saucers in winter, and star topped mince pies, always, throughout the month of December. It’s the ritual of the tea box I love, and the way it adds to our ability to savour a little bit more of every drop. … thanks for the great giveaway Nikki… it’s a real treat to get a chance to win a prize this… well… prized! x Catherine
I would serve it with my favorite Mars Bar Cheesecake, rich but delicious and with Twinings Assam Bold Ginger Fling it would be like heaven.
A tub of hot fresh KFC. Theres nothing like a hot cup of tea to wash away the tasty chicken fat.
I’d serve a traditional light sponge cake filled with jam and whipped cream , fresh strawberries and my favourite Baci chocolates
scones with jam and cream of course!!
What would you like with your Twinings Assam Bold Tea.A nice comfy chair, sit back relax and enjoy my Twinings …Just Beautiful!!!
Even more important than what to serve with Assam Bold tea, is who to share it with. Food may be considered by some to make the occasion. But the presence of friends, with whom we can share our most vulnerable selves over an exquisite cup of tea, is what makes the tea taste all the more delicious.
The best thing to serve with a fine tea like Twinings Assam Bold is a gorgeous tea set. Sure, Wedgwood is glorious, but anything that has a sense of ceremony will do. Tea, as the Japanese have known for centuries, is not just a refreshing drink but an offering of serenity or community. If I could wrestle a sponge cake from my CWA-baking neighbour to go with my fine tea and tea set, I’d be in heaven.
mmmm, it is all so delicious!
I would have to steal your idea of raspberry white chocolate bullets, add some banana & caramel macaroons with mini raspberry souffles 🙂
With the warmer months coming, I can only think of more iced-tea…
This could be called the ‘B Fresh’
1litre of cooled Assam Bold Tea
300ml of Midori
1 litre of lemon mineral water
2 large handfuls of mint, kind of crushed and torn
Crushed ice
Lemon cut into small wedges
Put all of the ingredients in a big jug, stir and serve in tall glasses {with a straw and umbrella if you are that kind of girl}.
Now… to really enjoy it…
Where: On a deck, at sunset, with good company
Wear: Something floral and floaty with sandals and painted nails
Homemade shortbread bikkies with the new Assam Bold tea…Im sure Mr Twinnings would approve 🙂
Mmm this tea sounds superb! I’d serve it up with a spicy slice of Ginger Crunch. I think they’d be perfect together.
I would serve my lovely home made “Lemon Tart” I make the pastry and the lemon curd myself. It goes beautifuly with “Twinings Teas.”
My famous rosewater melting moments would be absolutely perfect!!!
Cheese and crackers!
I’d serve up a plate of teensy-tiny little caramel tarts. You don’t want to spoil the taste of the tea… unless you have a second cuppa, in which case please feel free to have a second tart!
I would serve fresh cucumber sandwiches with chocolqate and vanilla, cupcakes yummy.
I would serve my new recipe – gluten free strawberry shortcake complete with the freshest strawberries that are currently in season. YUMMM
A bold malty tea calls for a dense rich cake aromatic with spices – cardamom cake would do the trick, and in my case it would be gluten free.
My son’s leftover teething biscuit would do fine if I had a wonderful aromatic tea like this to indulge in at nap time! Tea is all about the ritual for me… perfectly brewed in my nice “Harrods” fine bone china mug, sipped savouringly with peace settled over the house. Those macaroons do look incredibly tempting though Nikki! 🙂
Assam Tea is such a great Asian refreshing tea that I feel would go best after a round of dim sum (spring rolls and bbq pork buns), yum!
peanut butter cheese cake :O
I would serve my Assam Bold Tea with,
Lavender and white chocolate scones served with fresh cream and jam.Mini chicken and mushroom vol au vents.Feta and walnut and Kalamata olive mix spread on Parmesan crisps.Will use my beautiful treasured tea set painted with Australian native flowers that I use when I want to feel all special and pretty and glory in the ritual of a perfect afternoon tea.
I would serve up a delectable moist ginger spice cake that has loads of fresh ginger in it with a pot of Assam Bold Tea.
Definitely my daughter’s homemade fresh fluffy scones with a wee drop of butter, if only she was home more to make them!
Assam Bold Tea Party Menu
Brew the tea, put out the fresh flowers and set the table with all types of girlie serviettes, linen and china
Now to the food
Freshly baked herb and feta scones, dripping in butter
Gluten free , especially naughty triple choc brownies
Fancy pants no crust sandwiches with egg and lettuce, salmon and cream cheese and cucumber (of course)
Lindt Orange Essence chocolate squares
Heavily iced strawberry cupcakes
and pots and pots of tea
Love the idea of your delicious tea cocktail, perfect for the balmy summer evenings… xx
I would serve this tea up with a simple choc chip cookie… Or to go old school a Nice biscuit (dunked in the tea, naturally!)
Oh anything chocolate topped with rasberries and fresh cream would be Devine 🙂 all served on my Nanas tea set she received from my pop on their wedding day in 1927 …..
My hubby has recently perfected baking Macarons, so I’d be sure to serve the Assam Bold up with those – I don’t have to do the baking then!
The only way to enjoy a great tea – the kids at school, a favourite chickflick, tim tams and lemon slice, the phone turned off and settled back on the recliner – the housework can wait
Wow! With a beverage like that I would serve up a quirky, vibrant, delicious garden party and pray that mother nature serves up sunshine!
i love the new assam bold and I would serve chocolate and raspberry brownies with it!!!
I would serve my pot of Assam Bold Tea with a lovely salted caramel eclair (to complement the rich caramel undertones of the tea) with a sheet of crisp tempered chocolate perched on top to be cracked using my grand mothers sterling silver ‘Christofle’ cake fork (to represent the subtle kick that the tea offers)
Thanks Nikki for sharing x
What to serve with Twinings Assam Bold Tea?
Oh the endless possibilities!
Carefully made ribbon sandwiches with no crust.
And cupcakes too, of course they’re a must!
A lovely side salad of rocket, walnuts and pear.
And plenty of crackers and cheeses for all to share.
It would be a girls only event, no boys allowed.
And to use a Twinings Tea Chest? My guests would be wowed!
…hope that put a little smile on your face, Nikki! Thanks for the opportunity to win such a wonderful prize. x
gosh and you didn’t invite me???
The private jet was grounded for maintenance otherwise I would have sent for you 😉 x
My belly was rumbling as I read this post… the tea, the sandwiches, the macarons… yum, yum, yum!
It was all good … shhh … don’t tell a soul but we also ate chips and gravy (may have had too good a time the day before at the Spring Carnival Gala!)
OOH lovely Nikki I am not a girly girl either except for occasions like these,I am also a collector of cups plates and saucers and I also have the Royal Albert one you have shown in the pic and also some other very pretty ones that have been handed down to me ,my other faves are my Shelly rose spray and my Queen Anne spring melody set and My MIL bought me the Royal albert teapot many years ago and with my pretty 3 tiered rose cake plate and pretty floral handed cake forks it makes for a lovely high tea.
I only like my pretties in china,undies and sleepwear ,underneath I am a pretty girl.I love the recipe for the iced tea ,must make that in my beautiful martini jug I got from my other grandmother,,I would serve up the ginger fling in that with some nice canapes on the verandah by the pool in my Camilla maxi Kaftan I have not bought yet .But yes I have the pool and the verandah 🙂
As I sit here having my morning cup of Twinning’s Earl Grey, my current Fave, I’m thinking I’ll be racing out to grab the new Assam Bold. My cupboard is a flurry with every type of Twinnings as I love having everyone’s favourites on hand when friends drop in, or come to stay, which is more the case.
And what do I serve when we have a house full of visitors, my famous vanilla bean butter dripping off thickly sliced Fig and Anise toast care of the Ferry Rd Markets here on the coast – yum….goes with, let me think??? Everything!
Oh me oh my…. I’ve been lusting after a box of twinings tea for ever. Every time I see a box of it I get a little silly and giddy. I know, ridiculous. But I have a special thing for beautiful boxes, and beautiful tea, and Twinings is right up there. I have a girlfriend who I visit regularly and all we do is drink tea, lots of different types of tea, and solve the problems of the world.
High tea is wonderful. There is a beautiful tea shop in Pomona, where is used to live Two Old Ladies Tea Shop. One of my favourite things to do was go for high tea at that place. Now I’m in Brisbane I will have to find another…
What would I serve? Well if it was just for me, I would probably just sit in the sunshine and drink it all by itself…. Or with a thick piece of fruit toast (you know the type that is more fruit then bread?) spread with Philly.
Oh dear, seems it just about me… Oops. 🙂
Your high tea looked divine Nikki. X
Thanks Vicky and i like a bit of peace and quiet served up with my tea too!
Have you tried T’liscious on Grey Street?
You have really set the scene with the high tea- it Looks yum, and I will be sourcing it soon!
We’ve re-stocked here. Mr SY loves it too.