Much less formal, but still traditional, is she intimate tea for a few friends. At such a get-together just tea is served to a group of five or six, who are usually gathered around the living-room coffee table. The food consists of a few delicate sandwiches or cookies; the hostess pours. This is also the perfect time for the true tea-lover to offer her guests the more exotic brands of tea.
Betty Crocker Hostess Cookbook, 1967
Hot Fruited Tea
5 cups boiling water
5 tea bags or 5 teaspoon tea
10 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juice
3 unpeeled orange slices, cut in half
Pour boiling water over tea, cloves, and cinnamon.
Cover and let steep 5 minutes.
Strain tea; stir in sugar and fruit juices.
Heat to just below boiling.
Serve hot with an orange slice in each cup. 6 servings.
Betty Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook, 1967
