sweet tea talk: jenna park of whimsy & spice brooklyn confectioners

In addition to being a talented designer and creative co-owner of whimsy & spice brooklyn confectioners, Jenna Park also shares her "visual record of business and family life in NYC and a journal of projects both in and out of the kitchen" on her fabulous blog, Sweet Fine Day. 

Considering that she is a connoisseur of sweets, I asked Jenna a few questions about creative confections and tea:

as co-owner of whimsy & spice, have you ever tasted your treats with a cup of tea? if so, do you have any pairing recommendations?

I have to admit that I am a big coffee drinker so I don't drink tea as much as I'd like. When I do drink tea, I reach for chamomile when I'm in the mood for an herb tea, and Earl Grey or English Breakfast when I need a little pick me up later in the day. I love our Honey Lavender cookies with chamomile. I think they compliment each other nicely. 

honey lavender shortbread cookies

what whimsy & spice sweets would you serve at a tea party?

I would serve the honey lavender shortbread cookies, the earl grey sandwich cookies, our pink peppercorn hearts and probably our Rose and Black Pepper Thumbprints at a tea party. I think these are the right size and textures to accompany tea.

earl grey sandwich cookies

 

Black Pepper & Rose Thumbprints

do you have any favorite teas?

When I feel like I am feeling a sore throat coming on, I immediately reach for a throat coat tea that contains licorice and slippery elm root. It's so soothing! My other favorite teas are ones that I've picked up traveling. There is an amazing tea that we bought at our hotel in Hawaii that is a black tea with lilkoi (passion fruit), papaya, pineapple and pikake (jasmine) flowers. It's heavenly and reminds us so much of our vacation there. The other tea that I love is this Chocolate Truffle Easter Tea bought at the Tea House in London. I still have a little bit of it left from a trip 6 years ago and it still smells wonderful.  

as a designer, can you describe a few visual details about your ideal tea party?

I tend to like monochromatic table settings with a few bursts of complimentary colors, perhaps in the flowers of some colorful sweets. I'm a minimalist so I love white table linens with mismatched white tea cups and other tableware. I like having the tea, flowers and sweets provide the color on the table, but I also love printed napkins and tea towels. The idea of outdoor tea parties under a leafy, shady tree sounds so nice right about now!

many thanks to Jenna for taking the time to inspire us with her answers!

Comments

[heather]

omg... they all look delish!!

thanks for your comment. glad you like the springy colors!!

see you soon! x

h