The Electric Kitchen: Honor Mom with a tea party on Mother’s Day

A tea party is a wonderful way to pay tribute to all the women in your life on Mother’s Day. The best part is that the food items are pretty simple, easily homemade.

You can make one big pot of loose-leaf tea — or provide an assortment of tea bags for the ladies to choose from.

Remember, it’s all about presentation. Fancy up your table with simple things like a tiered tray to display finger foods or ornate cups to serve your tea. Thrift shops often have affordable vintage tableware.

We have put together a menu that’s both fancy and fun to make this Mother’s Day a very special one.

ORANGE CRANBERRY SCONE

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1 cup unsalted cold butter, diced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups chilled half-and-half, divided
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray and flour a large baking sheet, or line with parchment.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Add orange zest. Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut cold butter into flour mixture until particles are size of small peas. Fold in dried cranberries.

Add 1-1/2 cups half-and-half and vanilla extract. Mix until dough comes together. Do not over-mix.

With floured hands, pat dough to a 1-inch-thick disc on a floured board. Use a floured biscuit or cookie cutter of any shape to cut dough. Place pieces 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 4 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon. Lightly brush tops of scones with remaining half-and-half cream; sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Makes 24 scones.

Approximate nutritional information, per scone: 180 calories, 10 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 5 g sugar, 2 g protein.

VENETIAN TEA SANDWICHES

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 12 slices white sandwich bread
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (5-ounce) can tuna in oil, drained and flaked
• 1/3 cup pitted black olives, halved
• 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
• 6 asparagus spears, blanched and halved lengthwise
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, cored, sliced
• 4 thin slices prosciutto
• 1/3 cup thinly shaved Parmesan
• 1 cup baby arugula leaves

Remove crusts from bread and spread mayonnaise over each slice. Season with salt and pepper.

For the first sandwich, layer tuna, olives and capers over 2 slices of bread.

For the second sandwich, layer asparagus, egg slices and tomato over 2 more slices.

Lastly layer prosciutto, Parmesan and arugula over 2 slices.

Top each of the six half sandwiches with another slice of bread; halve sandwiches diagonally. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per 3 sandwich halves (not including salt to taste): 400 calories, 22 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 1,300 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 23 g protein.

COCOA CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 12 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sweetened cocoa powder

In a double boiler over barely simmering water, combine chocolate, butter and heavy cream. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.

Pour into a shallow casserole dish and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours. (Mixture will get too hard if refrigerated longer. If this occurs, allow mixture to sit at room temperature until pliable enough to shape.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Using a 2-teaspoon ice cream scoop or a melon baller, scoop out chocolate mixture, roll into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Roll balls in cocoa powder.

Refrigerate truffles until ready to serve. Makes 30 truffles.

Approximate nutritional information, per truffle: 90 calories, 8 g total fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, no sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.