Afternoon tea is a really wonderful way to enjoy a late lunch. While you spend a happy few hours catching up with friends or family, you can enjoy tasty sandwiches, delicious bites of cake and those all-important scones with jam and cream.

Did you know it’s surprisingly easy to host an afternoon tea in your own home? You can even arrange an afternoon tea box delivery thanks to specialists such as www.afternoonteabox.com/, where every element of the afternoon tea is lovingly prepared and carefully packaged to be delivered straight to your door.

How Do I Prepare Afternoon Tea?

Keeping it simple is one of the best ways to make your afternoon tea a breeze. You can include classic sandwiches – cheese and pickle or simply ham.

Next, scones are an important part of any afternoon tea and are so simple to make. Simply mix self-raising flour with cubes of butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add in sugar, a pinch of salt, some sultanas and milk until you have a dough. Cut into rounds and pop in the oven for about 15 minutes. Not only will you have a low-cost, low-effort tray of delicious scones, but your house will smell amazing too!

The All-Important Cakes

Arguably, the cakes are the best bit of afternoon tea, served with a piping hot cup of tea. Again, classic recipes often work best here: a timeless Victoria sponge is quick to rustle up and loved by all. You can decorate it using fresh strawberries and a mountain of freshly whipped cream.

If you fancy pushing the boat out a little but still wish to keep it simple to make, why not consider an American favourite, the whoopie pie? These bite-size cookie-dough-like snacks are super easy to make, and you can play around with the flavours, according to Goodto.com.

Lastly, don’t forget some simple decor to brighten up your home before guests arrive. Simple bunting, fresh flowers from the garden or even balloons are all easy ways to create a quaint atmosphere ready for your afternoon tea.