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Tea Sandwiches
By Brenda Hyde
Tea sandwiches are dainty and delicious. They aren't meant
to be filling because they are part of the overall Afternoon Tea
experience. They can be savory or sweet and may be
triangles, hearts, circles, crescents or other fancy shapes. The
bread is always fresh and very thin. More often than not, the
tea sandwich is abscent of meat, unless it is ground or chopped
very fine.
Preparation of the Sandwiches
Work on a large enough space that you can cut, spread,
and assemble all in one spot. Prepare the sandwiches
as close to serving time as possible to maintain freshness.
Use your creativity when choosing the type of bread-as
long as the slices are very thin, any variety as fine. Examples
are whole wheat, white, rye, raisin, pumpernickle, etc.
The crusts should be cut off the bread after slicing with a
sharp serrated knife. When spreading your filling or butter
be sure to spread no thicker than the thickness of the
bread, taking it to the edge and keeping it evenly thick.
Do not run over the sides. If a recipe calls for the bread
to be buttered before adding the filling, you should
neatly and lightly spread with butter first.
Below are some sandwiches to choose from. Simple
can be elegant as well. Feel free to experiment and
you will create some wonderful tea sandwiches.
Cheese and Orange Marmalade Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup orange mamalade
Spread half the slices of buttered bread with the
cheese, softened with the cream. Spread the
other slices with orange mamalade. Press the
slices together.
Cheese and Banana Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup cream
2 bananas
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Mash the bananas and mix with the cream cheese.
Add the cream and mayonnaise and spread on
slices of white bread.
Salmon Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 cup canned salmon, drained and bones removed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh dill sprigs and lettuce
Bread of your choice
Mix the salmon and mayonnaise until it is
creamed. Spread on the bread slices and
top with a small sprig of fresh dill and a
fresh lettuce piece. Note: This basic recipe
can be used for tuna or the small canned
shrimp that have been chopped finely. You
can also substitute watercress, argula or
add very thin slices of cucumber or radish.
Radish Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 cup minced radishes
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 cup cream cheese, softened
6 slices homemade or homestyle bread
3/4 tsp. salt
24 leaves of young argula, spinach or raddichio
Combine the minced radishes, poppy seeds, cheese
and salt. Blend well. Cover 3 slices of the bread with
the radish mixture-about 1/4 " thick. Top with the
lettuce leaves and another slice of bread. Cut each
sandwich into small squares or triangles with a
sharp serrated knife. You can vary this by adding
VERY thin slices of cucumber on top of the cheese,
and Bibb lettuce. For a crunchy treat use Romaine.
You may have left over radish mixture depending
on the size of your bread.
Pear and Walnut Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:
8 ozs. cream cheese, softened
4 ozs. blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
2 (16-oz.) cans pear slices, drained
8 ozs. thinly sliced ham
Your choice of bread: mini bagels, mini croissants or slices
of homemade sweet bread, such as Sally Lunn or Oatmeal.
In small bowl, combine cream cheese, blue cheese and walnuts;
mix well. Spread cheese filling on bottom half of the bread you
chose, followed by a layer each of ham slices and pear slices.
Top sandwiches with remaining halves. If you are using regular
size bread, use a sharp knife to cut into quarters. Note: You
can slice canned pears yourself OR use fresh pears as well
Cucumber Shrimp Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1/3 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup soft cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tsp. fresh minced dill
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 thinly sliced slices of homestyle white bread
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
6 lettuce leaves
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Cut rolls in half horizontally.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on three slices of bread. On the
other three slices add the shrimp, then arrange the cucumber and
radishes evenly on top. Next add one lettuce leaf to each slice, then
top with the slices that were covered with the cheese mixture. Press
down lightly and cut into triangles with a serrated knife. If necessary
you can place a decorative toothpick in each triangle. Notes: Use
your favorite type of lettuce. You can also buy small salad shrimp
and diced them up into the cheese mixture instead of using the
bigger ones.
Cucumber and Nasturtium Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 medium sized cucumbers
8 thin sliced brown bread
4 nasturtium leaves
mayonnaise
onion juice or powder
Peel, half, seed and finely chop the cucumbers.
Place in a bowl and add a dash or two of the
onion juice or powder and enough mayonnaise
to make it spreadable. Butter the slices of bread,
and for each sandwich spread on enough cucumber
mixture to cover lightly. Lay a leaf on top of
each piece of bread and top with another one.
Trim the crust. Makes 4 sandwiches.
Note-you could substitute any nice lettuce
or watercress for the nasturtium. Also when
you place these on a platter or each plate
be sure to garnish with a nasturtium bloom!
About the Author
Brenda Hyde is the owner and editor of OldFashionedLiving.com and
OldFashionedHolidays.com,
a wife, mom to three and a freelance writer. Brenda has a Tea Time Tidbits
newsletter which is sent by email weekly. Subscribe by sending a blank
email to teatimetidbits-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
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