Every month a group of us gets together with Su at Zimmerbitch in New Zealand for tea and goodies. This month naturally it’s Christmas tea. For the occasion I made black forest biscotti, from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics: 350 Recipes For Home-Style Favorites And Everyday Feasts, which have cocoa powder (dark, in this case), dark chocolate chips, and dried tart Montmorency cherries. With it, I’m serving the last of my Joy tea, a Christmas tea Starbucks used to serve seasonally. It was discontinued a few years ago but I managed to score several large bags at 50% off at the local Teavana store in Naperville, Illinois. It’s a mix of black, oolong, and green teas with flavors.
The plate is Copeland by Spode, English china, and in the spirit of international cooperation, the cup and saucer are Limoges from France. We participants are from all over as well. Merry Christmas!
This, that and the other thing 
How fun is that!
It’s lots of fun, even though it would be more so in person. 🙂
Lovely!
Thanks and tasty as well. 🙂
janet
yummm think I’ll go make a pot of tea.. waves a happy greeting across the miles
I make one every day. 🙂 Waving back and thanks for stopping by.
janet
Oh Janet your tea time looks wonderful. I am a big tea drinker, and find that Americans, who are usually more into coffee, don’t always do so well with real tea. They do the sweets okay, but never really have a robust or delicious tea. Your tea here, however, looks and sounds like it is the real thing. yum.
I have more tea than I could drink in months and just got more from my favorite tea shop in Pasadena, even though it took much longer to arrive than normal. I drink everything from hearty blacks to herbal and rooibos, depending on my mood and time of day. I worked at SereneTeaz in Wheaton, Illinois for two years before they went completely online and if you want to order high quality tea at reasonable prices, give them a look. Chado in Pasadena and a few other places in SoCal has a LOT of wonderful choices, as does TeaLula in Wheaton, Illinois. Of course they all ship. 🙂
Thank you Janet, how lovely to get this info.
If you happen to order from TeaLula or SereneTeaz, please let them know I recommended them. I don’t get anything other than the satisfaction of sharing good, family-run small business and excellent tea with someone.
I hate to admit it on this particular post, but I’m not a tea drinker. However, I will gladly bring my own coffee if you’d share two of those biscotti because they look amazing. 🙂
I’m happy to share, Judy. I put a batch in the mail for our daughter in Philly but with all the delays in the postal system, I may have to send her another batch some time in January!
Yum!! Both the tea you chose and the biscotti look and sound delicious.
I got my original Moosewood book out yesterday — having not looked at it for years. Some of the recipes have really stood the test of time.
They have a number of cookbooks out and I think there are a lot of timeless recipes among them. I gave away so many cookbooks before we moved and there are a few I really regret getting rid of. Right now I’ve checked out a number of cookbooks from the library, but e-book cookbooks just aren’t the same. 😦 Have to put some real ones on hold and use the pick up service.
I did that too, and am now scouring thrift shops for interesting alternatives and replacements. I’m with you on e-cookbooks. I need the real thing!
I still have quite a few but I need to take a trip to Half Price Books soon, just in general but cookbooks are always on the list. 😊
I probably have too many y cook books, but as my style of cooking evolves, my requirements change. Well, that’s my excuse. Thank goodness for thrift shops!!
I know all the excuses for new or new used cookbooks. 🙂
I’ll take some of those. Any left?
Sent the rest to our daughter in Philly. Right now I think they’re sitting in a postal distributions center or on a truck. 😢
Yummy!
Oh, it was, Aggie. 😉
janet
So lovely, so civilized. I haven’t made biscotti in ages, which seems like a real shame. I’ll have to put that on the winter baking list!
And they’re so easy. Quite expensive in the stores, too.
This looks like an interesting and fun tradition.
It’s a lot of virtual fun, Dan. Sleep well and I’ll see you tomorrow.
[…] from This, That and the Other Thing has baked some delicious black forest […]
That looks suitably stylish, Janet. Wishing you peace and joy this festive season and good company in the New Year 🙂 🙂
And the same to you, Jo. I sent the rest of the biscotti to our daughter in Philadelphia, but it’s been over a week and they haven’t arrived due to the glut of packages the post office has to deal with this year. She’ll have to dunk them in coffee or tea for sure! 🙂
I have a small package on its way to the UK but no certainty that it will make it. 😦
Let’s hope so. I don’t mind if we get packages after Christmas. The thoughts and love are still the same. But it would be nice to be able to open them while zooming with those who gave them to us.
That looks yummy! That would be right my street about 3pm when I’m ready for me afternoon cuppa.
When you get to Arizona… Or maybe I’ll bring some when I get out your way. 🙂
I’ve come over from Su and your link. I have moved countries this year and the ONE thing still completely unpacked is (are!) three large and terribly heavy boxes with all my cookbooks. Not that I need them, they are ‘just’ friends I leave through, eat the photos with my eyes and sometimes take inspiration. I’m an impulsive and free spirited cook, most of my meals are done on what promotions our local stores have, seasons, and what the fridge is still holding in store for me. What I do now regularly on multiplying demands from friends and family, is a ‘cook-up’ of a originally french quiche lorraine whereas my concoctions have nothing to do with that original. I use everything I have at hand, onions, garlic, speck or bacon or cooked ham, but always a lovely strong swiss cheese mix, for the pastry I also change from one time to the next, puff pastry, or one of the many (even organic) available local/national pastries. My mix contains also a fresh egg, a thick greek yoghurt, some milk, nutmeg, freshly ground pepper and sometimes an addition of fresh herbs, savory spices, whatever! It’s always good and quite filling and next Saturday I’ll make another one for bro-and-sis-in-law…. word gets around!
Lovely dishes, and even lovelier biscotti!
Those biscotti are SO good.
That Christmas tea that was discontinued sounds really good! Good thing you were able to stock up a little
And the photo of the Black Forest biscotti look awesome – also the plate is so nice
They have a similar one now, just a bit different with a new name. The biscotti is SO good. The combination of chocolate and cherry is just delicious.
Mmmmm
Exactly. 🙂
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie
Have a wonderful Christmas and joyous days ahead with warm laughter. Take care.
That’s a good quote, Kally, and one I thought of including in my Christmas Eve Day post. You might enjoy it, as it’s filled with Christmas quotes.
(https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2020/12/24/christmas-eve/)
We had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you did as well.
janet
There is nothing better than an afternoon tea, it’s even more special at Christmas!
Miamii / https://explorewithmii.com/
Glad you could stop by for a cup and a biscotti. 🙂
janet
Yummm
🙂 Thanks for stopping by for tea and goodies and leaving a comment as well. Hope all’s well with you.
janet