It's tea time !

''Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.'' Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady.

Tea box handcrafted in nickel silver (Photo by Heinrich-Sanguinetti)

The traditional afternoon tea has also found its roots in South America, where it is usually drank at 5pm following classic conventions. Tea, coffer or Mate are accompanied with medialunas (croissants), sandwiches de miga (usually ham and cheese sandwiches with very thin bread), dulce de leche (a thick creamy caramel-like treat), marmalade and butter spread over bread and toasts, bizcochos and assorted masitas (cookies-like pastries), including alfajores (check a recipe to make them below). This light meal is usually called merienda.

Confiteria Las Violetas, Cafe La Ideal, Cafe Tortoni, Confiteria La Biela or Cafe de Los Angelitos are some of the traditional places where to drink tea in Buenos Aires.

How to make alfajores

Alfajores, a favorite South American pastry, are cookies filled with dulce de leche, ideal for an afternoon tea or an anytime snack.

Prep Time: 1 hour - Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cognac
• 2 1/2 cups cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• Dulce de Leche

Preparation:

To make cookie dough:
Cream the butter and sugar together, then mix in the remaining ingredients (except the dulce de leche) until well blended. Knead on a floured work surface until the dough is smooth and let rest for 15 minutes.

To make the cookies:
Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch and cut into 2-inch rounds. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 20 minutes. When cool, spread some dulce de leche on the bottom of half the cookies and press another cookie on top, allowing some of the dulce de leche to squeeze from the sides. Makes about 12 delicious, definitely non low calorie cookies!

To make dulce de leche:
Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into 9-inch pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil. Place the pie plate in a in larger shallow pan filled with hot water. Do not allow the water to cover the smaller pan. Bake at 425 degrees F for one hour or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth.

Dress your home with style

In the early times when the countryside was still insecure and the gauchos roam free, the estancias were fortresses providing shelter. With the advance of world trade, the expansion of the agriculture frontier and the introduction of European sheep and cattle, South American economies grew. The role of the estancias evolved becoming historic colonial architectural states, cattle ranches and real palaces of the pampas.

Estancia La Candelaria - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Add original touches to your home and dress it like a real estancia with our range of beautifully selected decorative pieces, including photo frames and boxes handcrafted in nickel silver.

Estancia La Paz - Cordoba - Argentina

Estancia La Paz was built in 1830 and was one of the landmarks along "El Camino Real", the royal route to Peru. Subsequent additions were made in 1860 in a typical colonial style and in the late 1800's his owner Julio A. Roca, twice President of Argentina, built an extension in an Italian Renaissance style. Presindent Roca loved to spend time away from Buenos Aires, and adopted La Paz as his favourite refuge and as a meeting place with important politicians to discuss state affairs, making the estancia a priviledged witness of the country's social and political life.

Colonial photoframe handcrafted in nickel silver

Palacio San Jose - Entre Rios - Argentina

San Jose Palace was built between 1848 and 1858 and is the former personal residence of Justo Jose de Urquiza, Argentine caudillo, general, politician and President of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860. The Palace features Italian marbles, French mirrors and gold-plated roofs and was the first building in the country to have a complete system of running water. The Palace served as a political stage where foreign diplomats were hosted and international treaties were signed.

This leather and nickel silver photoframe is an unmissable touch in any home of a real estanciero !

Classic and elegant style, this nickel silver photoframe is ideal to treasure your most precious moments.