Complexity: ★★★★★
There were many different directions I could have taken Byleth’s dish, but I ultimately decided to take inspiration from Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ "tea time" minigame! While exploring the monastery, Byleth can invite the various other characters to a tea party. By conversing with their guest over a cup of tea, the player can earn “support points” to gain stat bonuses in battles and unlock romance options.
I decided to try my hand at making my own custom tea blend! I drew upon the tea preferences of each house leader, since they play such an important role in the game, as well as in Byleth’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate moveset. Edelgard of the Black Eagles enjoys Bergamot tea, and so does Claude of the Golden Deer, while Dimitri of the Blue Lions prefers Chamomile. So I went for a Bergamot-Chamomile blend, with a hint of cornflower and lemon!
A tea party wouldn't be complete without some sweets! I decided to look to the Garreg Mach Monastery Dining Hall to find some inspiration for pastries or cakes. In the Dining Hall, Byleth can cook and eat meals with the other characters as a bonding activity. One item on the Garreg Mach menu stood out right away: the "Sweet Bun Trio"! I thought this would be the perfect accompaniment to the tea.
It’s not entirely clear what type of "Sweet Buns" they are meant to be, but they are created in-game with "Albinean Berries" and "Noa Fruit." So I decided to interpret the Sweet Bun Trio as fruit-filled kolachy, a type of sweetened bun popular throughout Europe! It fits well with the European setting of Three Houses, and can be filled with all sorts of fruit fillings much like the Sweet Bun Trio in the game. Since it’s a bun trio, I made three different fillings, and each represents the colours of each house leader: bright and zesty lemon marmalade with poppy seeds for Claude, deep and rich blueberry and blackberry preserves for Dimitri, and sweet raspberry jam with smooth cream cheese icing for Edelgard. (Note: the buns I made did not rise as much as I would have liked, I suspect due to some kind of problem with the yeast. If you make them they should rise up to twice as high as the ones in the photos.)
I took lots of pictures of this delightful tea party spread. There were too many to fit on this page, so check out my Instagram to see them all!
INGREDIENTS
Bergamot-Chamomile Tea:
3 tbsp bergamot tea
1 tbsp dried chamomile flowers
2 tsp dried lemon zest (you can make your own in a dehydrator or in an oven on its lowest temperature setting)
2 tsp dried cornflowers
Empty tea bags/filters
Honey or sugar, for serving
Sweet Buns:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warmed milk
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup butter
1 egg white, beaten
Lemon Filling:
3 lemons
3 cups water
¾ cup sugar
Poppyseed Filling:
¾ cups poppy seeds
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Raspberry Filling:
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch
Cream Cheese Filling:
½ cup cream cheese
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blueberry-Blackberry Filling:
1 cup fresh blueberries
½ cup fresh blackberries
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch
PREPARATION
For sweet buns:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add ¼ cup of the milk and sprinkle the yeast on top. Sprinkle with a spoonful of the sugar and wait for it to bloom, about 5-10 minutes or until foamy.
Add milk, butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix until combined.
With the mixer speed on low, gradually sift in the flour until a ball of dough forms.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Place in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray and loosely cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, make the fillings (recipes below).
Punch down the dough and knead briefly. On a floured surface, roll out the dough ½-inch thick. Cut into 2.5-inch circles. Reroll and cut out the scraps until all the dough is used.
Place rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about one inch apart, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 375°. Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press a large indentation into the centre of each bun. Brush with the beaten egg white.
Seperate into three groups. For the first group, fill each indentation with a tablespoon of blueberry jam. Fill the second group with cream cheese and raspberry fillings. Fill the third group with lemon marmalade and poppyseed fillings.
Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
For lemon marmalade:
Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Slice the ends off of each lemon and add to the boiling water. Cook until softened, about an hour.
Remove lemons from water. Reserve ½ cup of the liquid.
Slice lemons in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Cut the rind into small pieces.
Add liquid and sugar back to the saucepan along with the lemon rind and pulp, bring to a boil. Add seeds to an empty teabag and toss in the liquid (this will help the marmalade set).
Lower to a simmer for about an hour until thickened. Discard seed bag and pour marmalade into a sealable container. Allow to cool until fully set.
For poppyseed filling:
Grind poppy seeds in a spice grinder or coffee grinder until fine.
Add poppy seeds, milk, sugar, and vanilla to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower heat, cook until a thick paste is formed. Stir in honey and butter, set aside.
For raspberry filling:
Add raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar to a saucepan. Mash raspberries with a fork or potato masher and cook until sugar dissolves.
Whisk together water and cornstarch and stir into raspberry mixture. Simmer until thickened, then remove from heat and set aside.
For cream cheese filling:
Whip together cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl, by hand or with an electric hand mixer.
Stir in vanilla extract and milk until smooth. Add another splash of milk if too thick.
For blueberry-blackberry filling:
Add blueberries, blackberries, lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar to a saucepan. Mash with a fork or potato masher and cook until sugar dissolves.
Whisk together water and cornstarch and stir into berry mixture. Simmer until thickened, then remove from heat and set aside.
For tea:
Mix bergamot, chamomile, lemon zest, and cornflowers. Add a teaspoon of the tea blend into each tea bag.
Add a few tea bags to a tea pot and fill with boiling water. Steep for 4-5 minutes before pouring and serving. Sweeten with sugar or honey if desired.
Elements of this recipe were created with the help of my generous patrons! If you'd like to help me create future recipes, consider supporting me on Patreon!