Tea Blog

The kiddies are getting their costumes ready (or more likely mommy and daddy are getting them ready). And the adults (in-between the costume making) are piling up the treats. In this house, we’re skipping the costume part (no kids here) and going straight for the treat part. Yay!

Trick-or-treating usually involves a lot of candy. Mini chocolate candy bars, teeth busting hard candies, taffy and peanut butter chews to stick in your teeth, the seasonal favorite candy corn and pumpkins, and other high-sugar treats. But there are lots of alternatives, some not so high in sugar, and some that are not even candy. Here are a few we found:

• Fall Harvest Snacker Gift Basket — A hand-painted basket filled with warm and comforting flavors of Fall! What could be a better gift for birthdays, anniversaries, housewarmings, or just because? The basket includes: a frosted Autumn pumpkin cookie, creamy vegetable cheese spread, 3 pepper crackers, 3-ounce beef salami, stuffed olives, honey mustard pretzels, Chamberry chocolates, Sonoma three cheese swirls, 2-ounce caramel corn. Lots to crunch and munch at tea time.

• Sticky Fingers Pumpkin Cranberry Scone Mix — A combination of two favorite seasonal flavors makes these scones extra special. Sticky Fingers scone mixes make scone baking as easy as open-add water-mix-bake. You’ll have hot, tasty scones in the blink of an eye. And these, with their spices, rich pumpkin flavor, and cranberry pieces, will be the best for your fall tea time. Each package makes about 12 medium-sized scones. Certified OU and D Kosher. Top with butter, clotted cream or even pumpkin butter!

• Shortbread — Delicious Scottish shortbread from top companies like Walkers, Border, and O’Neill’s. Buttery and crumbly, these shortbreads will melt in your mouth. Our traditional Scottish shortbread comes in a variety of tins, styles and flavors.

• Mr Kipling Cakes – Cherry Bakewells – 6 Pack – 5.29oz (150g) — A ton of good taste packed into 6 cakes in a convenient box! Little pastries filled with raspberry plum jam, a layer of almond sponge cake, and a topping of sweet icing and a cherry. (Cannot ship to Canada.) For more information on the company, see The Story of Mr. Kipling’s Cakes on this blog.

• Almondina Gingerspice Cookie Biscuits — The Almondina company was founded by Yuval Zaliouk, symphony conductor and gourmet chef, who wanted to bring his grandmother Dina’s recipe for Petit Gateau Sec (Little Crisp Cakes) to the American market. This cookie is the ginger version but, like the original, is free of cholesterol, salt, preservatives, and most fat (the only fat is from the almonds), yet is wonderfully crunchy, flavorful, and perfect with tea. (The name “Almondina” is a tribute to grandma Dina.)

Don’t those all sound scrumptious? While the kids are out ringing doorbells and yelling “Trick or treat!” you can be snuggled at home with some of these and, of course, a pot or two of your favorite tea!

See more of A.C. Cargill’s articles here.

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