on may day
it was fairy tea party day in our classroom
we had dragons, and fairies, and trolls, and elves,
and everything you can imagine
two of the special party treats
are magic tea and fairy bread.
the magic tea tastes like apple
and changes colors with each new pot poured
and the fairy bread is a sprinkled wonder
what an amazing day we had.
Fairy bread -A rainbow of flavor that harks back to childhood.
(story and recipe)
This mainstay of children’s birthday parties in Australia and New Zealand has but three ingredients: white bread, butter or margarine, and hundreds-and-thousands, which are better known as “sprinkles” in many parts of the world.
To make fairy bread, dump a layer of sprinkles onto a large plate or other flat surface. Take a buttered slice of white bread and place it, buttered side down, onto the sprinkles. Press gently to ensure sprinkles adhere to the butter. Then lift it up, cut the bread diagonally into four triangles, and you have a colorful and child-compatible snack.
Fairy bread can be served with crusts on or off depending on personal preference. Note, however, that the crust provides a handy, butter-and-sprinkle-free spot for your fingers to grip the bread.
The identity of the first person to firmly press sprinkles into white bread is lost to history, but fairy bread was made as far back as at least the 1920s. Unlike simple foods such as toast and cupcakes, though, fairy bread has resisted the modern trend to artisanal-ize. When a food writer suggested using a different kind of sprinkles and “a nice cultured butter,” Australians took a strong, pre-emptive stance against fancier versions of fairy bread.
“That’s the beauty of Fairy Bread,” the editor of a U.K. food section writes of fairy bread’s egalitarian appeal. “Regardless of how much soft focus lighting or Pinterest-friendly table dressing you throw at it, you can’t escape the fact that it’s a piece of soggy bread loaded with strands of refined sugar, designed to be eaten by someone who hasn’t yet mastered chewing with their mouth closed. It’s simple, it’s nostalgic, and the combo of processed carbs, butter, and E numbers is a match made in minimal-effort heaven.”
Need to Know Fairy bread is rarely served in restaurants or cafes. So if you can’t score an invitation to an Australian child’s birthday party, making it yourself is your best bet.
even one of our knight’s dogs dressed up for the big day
—
“those who don’t believe in magic will never feel it.”
-roald dahl
—
Recipe source credit:Gastro Obscura
The magic tea looks great, very different to my boring ‘normal’ tea!
Best wishes, Pete.
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apple juice with a change of food coloring, and they swear certain colors taste better than others)
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What an awesome treat Beth. It surely is the best snack/ treat that kids can make and serve themself.
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pretty easy to please with this one –
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Definitely 👍🏼
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It’s my birthday today and my husband keeps asking me what I want to eat. I am now tempted to say “fairy bread” and go and buy some sprinkles. And thank you for the Australian blurb about it. Love it.
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happy birthday and a bit of fairy bread to you~!
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Thank you 😊
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“Fairy dust is like love, it creates magic whenever you give it away.” – Unknown
“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” – G.K. Chesterton
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Yes and yes
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A nice treat for any birthday of any age. As long as one believes in magic.
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Delicious.
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Yummm – one piece )
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What a delightful celebration! sounds fun and yummy!
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yes, to both
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Fairy bread…what a delight! 🥰
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absolutely !
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It looks like a great time was had by all, Beth.
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especially me )
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I love how you always find a way to inspire imagination and creativity – bravo!
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thanks, and who doesn’t benefit from a bit of the fairy food?
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What a fantastic day! I wish I had been a part of it. And may I say I am rather pleased that they pushed back on trying to artisinalize!
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me too! that was a highlight
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I bet!
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So lovely!!😊
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thank you !
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What fun. We didn’t have fairy bread in Canada. Look what I missed out on.
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you can be a trend setter )
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Fairy bread! How fun
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What a deprived childhood I had. No fairy bread. No magic tea. It’s a wonder I survived.
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there’s still time!
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What a truly magical day in your classroom. You make learning fun, Beth. And that fairy bread, love it. Who doesn’t love sprinkles?
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thanks, Audrey, I really enjoy this day and a little bit of sprinkles now and then are good for the soul
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This is such a win-win situation for both, you and the children. The kids get the most amazing inspiration and you can enjoy sharing this all with them.
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oh, I love it too!
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How delightful! I had to smile when I spotted the goldfish crackers on the plates, a staple in my classroom for those children whose families never sent them to school with a snack.
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yes, lots of colors and textures, and they are a great filler
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I feel the magic from this, Beth. (It also made me hungry!)
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that’s how the magic happens )
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Can’t wait to tell my Aussie friend that I know what fairy bread is. Such a wonderful day!
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you can show off! )
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What a wonderful idea!!
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very fun
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What a fun day and now I want to make fairy bread. Reminds me of the butter and sugar sandwiches my mother used to make us 🙂
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such a great treat of kids
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How absolutely wonderful. And I believe in Magic and now I believe in Fairy Bread as well. Delightful post and the dog was cute too.
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ty so much and one of my fav things to do at school with my class
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I can certainly understand why.❤️
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I would love to be a kid, Beth, and to have been there 🙂 what fun !
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so much fun
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I definitely need to make fairy bread at school! How did you make the magic tea? This month we’re learning about kings and queens and need to have a tea party in a castle.
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So colourful! I’ve got some hundreds and thousands – I think I’ll make some fairy bread!
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How wonderful, Beth. I didn’t have fairy bread or magic tea as a child. 🙂
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You know how to party!
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How fun! You are such a great teacher!! Keep up the good work.
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❤
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