Tea
Sandwiches
Small Tea or Finger Sandwiches are perfect for
afternoon tea or as a light appetizer. While
the combination of fillings is endless, the recipes
below reflect a traditional and a more unusual
filling. What makes the sandwiches festive is how
they are cut. They can be made into squares,
triangles, circles or just about any shape with a
cookie cutter. The trimmings are reward for the cook
to eat! To create a special afternoon tea,
plate the sandwiches with scones or cookies and cut
up fresh seasonal fruit. Serve with a pot of your
favorite tea and you will have an afternoon tea fit
for a Queen.
Cucumber Sandwich
Yield:
16 servings
Ingredients
1 English cucumber (Hot House Cucumber)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room
temperature
1 ½ teaspoon fresh dill chopped or ½ teaspoon dried
dill
8 slices white bread (thin sliced is best)
salt
white pepper freshly ground or black pepper if not
available
Peel and thinly slice the cucumber; preferably with
a mandoline. Layer the slices in a strainer and
place over a bowl. Sprinkle a little salt over the
top. Allow to drain for at least one hour. After
allowing to drain, you can use a paper towel to blot
up excess moisture.
Mix the butter and dill together in a bowl. Lay all
eight slices of bread out and butter the top of each
slice. The butter will help keep the bread from
getting soggy. Start layering the cucumber over four
of the slices. After a couple layers, sprinkle with
just a little salt and pepper. Add another couple of
layers and than place the other pieces of buttered
bread on top. Cut the crust off and then cut each
sandwich into four squares, triangles or other
desired shape. Plate and serve. These
sandwiches should be made as close to serving time
as possible since the cucumber will still have a
fair amount of moisture.
Pistachio
and Olive Sandwich
Yield:
16 servings
Ingredients
8 ounces whipped cream cheese
3 tablespoons pistachio, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons green olives coarsely chopped, pimento
removed and discarded
8 slices wheat or whole grain bread
Mix the cream cheese, pistachios and green olives in
a bowl. Spread the equally mixture on four slices of
bread. Top with the other slices making four
sandwiches. Cut the crust off and then cut each
sandwich into four squares, triangles or other
desired shape. Plate and serve.
Recipes by David Musial
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