Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-27
AT DEBUTANTE TEAS
Condolences EXCHANGED OVER
THE CHOCOLATE.
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star.
For girls just leaving their teens. the fad
of the winter is the afternoon tete-a-tete
over a cup of carefully brewed chocolate.
when the secrets and intimacies of school
life and the first gIimpses into the social
world are weighed most seriously. Tea and
coffee, the afternoon beverage of their man.
mas, are tabooed by the rosy-complexioned
daughters, who refuse to drink anything
but extract from the cocoa bean and that
served in the most delicate and appetizing
manner.
The attention given to the preparation of
the chocolate for these afternoon tete-a-
tetes makes it not only a warming but a
nourishing drink. The first essential is
that 1t shall be creamy, and this Is obtained
by grating the unsweetened chocolate, and
allowing II to dissolve over the fire with
very little water When II is thoroughly
smooth the milk is heated In a separate
dish and the two finally mixed together
and allowed to boil moderately for at least
five minutes.
After this the saucepan is removed from
the stove and the liquid beaten ten or fr-
teen minutes, when it Is returned to the
fire and cupful of cream added. The most
successful of the young hostesses prefer to
have the cream served IN this way rather
WtlfppeQ anu IEDpptu d SpGVil4Al III
each cup. Though the best way of all Is
to mix the cream with the chocolate, and
lacking thick cream to whip, have a goodiy
supply of milk beaten to stin froth with
the whisked white OF egg
One young miss has a way quite her own
OF serving the afternoon chocolate. To a
dafntily equipped table in her pretty bou-
doir is brought very soon after her friends
arrive a pitcher of smoking hot chocolate
and another pitcher of the same size hold
ing scalded milk. Over lump of sugar at
the bottom of each cup she pouFs hrst
enough chocolate to half fill the cup and
then fills 1t TO the brim with hot milk A
heaping teaspoonful of whipped cream is
dropped lightly on the top and the drink Is
passed to the guest with assortment or
sweetened crackers or little cakes
Pretty China.
But the chocolate is not the only attrac-
tive part of this tete-a-tete lunch. The
china In which 1t is served is an equally
important feature. and some of the most
charmingIy decorated pots and cups TO
match are employed for this purpose ODD
porcelain pitchers also do service as recep-
tacles for the chocolate. In which case tall
soda fountain cups with handles are used
10 drink from. @
The most unique of the fine china choco-
late sets comprise a very tall. shapely
pitcher with a fower-like fiaring spout ana
a deep cover, while the cups are nnusua.s
tall and slender, with shape similar 10
that of the pitcher. These are set on china
trays, which show the same dainty rosebud
or fieur-de-iys design. and complete a bit of
choice chinaware that is dear TO the heart
of every true woman.
Separate pitchers without covers are
wrought in heavy porcelain, and display all
kinds of picturesque shapes including droll
faces OF laughing monks, sleepy-looking
animals heads and stately floral blooms.
Another fancy Is the plain pitcher with a
spout on one side. and perfectly straight
handle projecting at right angles. This is
very much on the order of the small nickel
coffee pot. which holds ths after-dinnex
deml- tasse.