Cucumber And Cream Cheese Sandwiches
- You need to use white bread for these cucumber afternoon tea finger sandwiches.
- Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so before you need it. This will make it easier to mix in the herbs. Make sure the herbs are very finely chopped no one wants bits of herb getting stuck between their teeth.
- If you can, use an English cucumber. They are often wrapped in plastic when they are sold. Any cucumber will work, but English cucumbers have few seeds, which normally makes them less watery.
- Use a mandoline slicer or just a potato peeler to cut the cucumber. I prefer to cut them lengthwise to make longer pieces of cucumber rather than small rounds. The longer pieces make it less likely that the cucumber will fall out when eating the finger sandwich.
- Make sure you add the salt to the sandwich. Even if you normally have a low sodium diet, do add some salt. It prevents the cucumber from making the sandwich soggy.
Easy Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches
Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches: If youre hosting an afternoon tea, chances are youre serving finger sandwiches. And would like to find some easy make-ahead recipes and ideas.
Weve gathered some delicious tea sandwich recipes and ideas. Including the perennial favorite cucumber finger sandwiches. Along with tea recipes, we have beautiful presentation ideas too.
Plus some excellent advice and pro tips on making them ahead.
Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine March 26 2000 By Rick Nichols
Not so long ago, the classic tea sandwich appeared headed for extinction, too impossibly quaint, too insufferably bland, too stiffly British to thrive in the suddenly multicultural landscape.
Caterers still experienced demand into the 70’s as aging devotees clung to tradition. But sightings became rarer as Philadelphia caterers danced to the beat of the Indonesian rice cone, tapas and Turkish smoked eggplant.
Then a year or two ago, a funny thing happened: Frilly Victoriana, loose tea, flowery gardens and old-time tradition began staging a decorous but unapologetic comeback.
Who knows why exactly. When things speed up, perhaps part of us craves a moment to slow back down. When the cocktail hour becomes politically incorrect, perhaps something must arise to fill the vacuum.
Whatever, the time was ripe for teas and garden parties, ripe finally for the demure Victorian tea sandwich to again say: I’m cuke and I’m proud.
Where better, thought Rubel Montgomery, than at the old-line Main Line caterer Le Petit Chef, which was searching for a specialty to distinguish it from its competitors.
Rubel had recently joined his wife, Diane, in running the business out of their split-level home in Radnor. For big shindigs – say, a tent picnic at the Radnor Hunt – they use the kitchen space in Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church.
The younger crowd orders them now, Diane says – for straight weddings and gay commitment ceremonies, for teas, baby showers and church luncheons.
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What Are Tea Sandwiches Made Of
Yea sandwiched have MANY different fillings. What differentiates them from normal sandwiched is their small size and the fine nature of the filling. Most fillings are chopped into small pieces so that dainty bites can be taken without having to worry about a giant piece of tomato or chicken sliding out.
Keep Your Sandwiches From Drying Out
Traditional afternoon tea sandwiches are made using super soft, moist sandwich bread which can and will get very dry if you leave them out for more than an hour or so. Remember, open air is the enemy.
You have two options:
1. Place a damp paper towel or dish cloth over top of your sandwiches until your guests arrive.
2. Add your sandwiches to a container or sheetpan and cover with saran wrap very well.
TIP* Adding a layer of butter to your bread on both sides, will act as a barrier and keep your bread from getting soggy!
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For The Smoked Salmon And Horseradish
- 1/2 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 Tbs. horseradish
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3/4 lb. thinly sliced smoked salmon
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- 10 to 12 radishes, thinly sliced
- 8 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives
Coronation Chicken Finger Sandwiches
- If you can, save time and buy your chicken pre-cooked. I couldnt get any from the Aldi we visited, so I just briefly cooked a few chicken strips in a frypan, removing then when they were cooked through but before they started to brown. Make sure you cut or shred the chicken into small pieces so that there are no big lumps in the afternoon tea finger sandwiches.
- I couldnt get any mango chutney at the supermarket. If you cant get any either, use any fruit chutney you can find. I think mine was pineapple, fig and chili.
- Again, you can use any type of mayonnaise that you have on hand. Add just a little yoghurt to start, so that the mixture is not too runny.
- You can use garden cress or water cress, whatever is available. If the pieces are a little big, give them a rough chop before using.
- You can use any bread you prefer for these afternoon tea finger sandwiches.
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Egg And Cress Finger Sandwiches
- The egg you use for these egg salad and cress afternoon tea finger sandwiches should be hard-boiled, but not for too long. Id recommend cooking the egg for about 8 minutes, so that it is just set but not dry yet. I used a large egg, which was definitely enough for one sandwich. If you have a medium egg, you might need to use two.
- You can use any type of mayonnaise you like, but I prefer an egg mayonnaise. Just use whatever you have. Make sure the chives are chopped finely and adjust the amount of mustard to taste.
- You can use garden cress or water cress, whatever is available. If the pieces are a little big, give them a rough chop before using.
- I prefer white bread for these sandwiches, but it a personal preference.
Expert Tips To Make Them Perfect
- To get perfectly uniform tea sandwiches, use a cookie cutter to cut the sandwich ingredients. A simple shaped cookie cutter , without any intricate details, work the best.
- Frozen bread cuts a lot more neatly, and holds its shape better than room temperature bread. Put the bread in the freezer for a couple of hours, or store in the freezer and take it out when youre ready to make the sandwiches.
- Avoid the crust so that the tea sandwiches are easier to bite into while giving them a neater appearance.
- If youre not using a cookie cutter to cut the bread, make the sandwich then cut using a serrated knife.
- Tea sandwiches are meant to be eaten in 2-3 bites so dont make the sandwiches too big.
- Lightly butter or put on a thin layer of mayo the bread to prevent the bread from going soggy and limp.
- Blot dry cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, or any wet ingredients before assembling the sandwiches. Again, this is to keep the bread from going soggy.
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The Best Bread To Use
Although it is not traditional, most tea sandwiches are made with “regular sliced” bagged sandwich bread in either white, wheat or rye. It is what we all have in our grocery store and is the easiest to find!
If your bread is too thick, the ratio of filling to bread will be off so try to keep it on the thin side.
I like to have a combination of white, wheat and rye sandwich bread when serving my tea sandwiches at a party. The color contrast is more appetizing too!
Bonus! Most tea sandwiches are also vegetarian friendly so they will suit almost all of your guests dietary restrictions. An even better idea is to buy gluten free bread so that those who are gluten free will be able to enjoy these too!
How To Cut Tea Sandwiches
Traditional English tea sandwiches are typically cut into small triangles.I like the rectangles because I feel like it saves bread.
The firs thing to do is, trim the crust. Use a serrated knife for this. If your knife is not sharp, you will squish the bread. Then cut diagonally to make two triangles.
Another option is to cut your sandwiches into long rectangles. You could probably get 3 rectangles from each trimmed sandwich.
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What Types Of Sandwich Are Traditionally Served For Afternoon Tea
As we explained last week, the first course for afternoon tea is traditionally finger sandwiches. Five types of afternoon tea finger sandwiches which are traditionally served for afternoon tea. Most of the large hotels still serve a version of these sandwiches:
English Tea Finger Sandwiches
English Tea Finger Sandwiches are such a fun brunch time snack to serve with or without tea! I like to make thesesandwiches AHEAD of time when expecting company. It is best to serve them cold so no fussing with reheating! Traditional tea sandwiches are ideal for afternoon bridal, baby showers or at an adult tea party!
Tea finger sandwiches, or all mini sandwiches really, are such a fun way to enjoy a late morning or early afternoon tea !
They were created to help stave off hunger until the main meal and they definitely do just that! It is also known as ‘low tea’ as opposed to ‘high tea’ because the sandwiches were typically served on low tables.
Here is more on the history of tea sandwiches.
Now a days, you will see these tea sandwiches most often at bridal showers, baby showers or adult tea parties.
Did I mention how cost efficient they are to make?
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How Many Sandwiches To I Allow Per Person For Afternoon Tea
I allow one finger of each type of sandwich per person. Each sandwich makes three fingers.
For our recent afternoon tea for three adults , we made one of of each type of sandwich. Effectively, we had about one and half sandwiches each.
We also had caramelised onion and goats cheese tarts and featherlight scones. We finished off with banana cupcakes baked because we had some overripe bananas but nobody apart from Miss M had any space left to eat any of the cupcakes.
Pro Tip : Tea Sandwich Fillings That Freeze Well
There are several sandwiches you can freeze ahead for your tea party, but you must select your fillings carefully. Egg, mayonnaise, or salad dressing-based fillings CAN NOT be frozen successfully.
Some ideas for fillings that freeze well include:
- cream cheese and fruit/nut combinations
- pureed shrimp and butter
- thinly sliced ham, roast beef, or smoked salmon
- cheese spreads with a butter base instead of a mayonnaise base
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Overview Of Steps To Make Tea Sandwiches
Pro Tips For The Best English Tea Sandwiches
- All of these sandwiches will keep for a few hours as long as you cover them so the bread doesnt dry out. Buttering the insides prevents the fillings moisture from making the bread soggy.
- If you want to prepare the egg or chicken fillings U just cover, refrigerate and assemble before serving.
- I highly recommend using pumpernickel bread for the salmon sandwiches. It perfectly balances the strong flavor of the smoked fish.
- If youre feeling a bit intimidated just choose one or two of the sandwiches to serve with some tea and a bit of cake. Your guests will be quite happy with a more relaxed host!
- To save time you can definitely use a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken breasts at home.
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What Are Tea Sandwiches
- Tea sandwiches are small sandwiches made to be eaten in 2-3 bites with your hands. Theyre usually crustless to give them a dainty and delicate look and makes them easier to bite into.
- Theyre served as a first course of an afternoon tea before scones and sweets. Afternoon tea is a light mid-day meal so each course consists of small bites.
- Because theyre small, tea sandwiches are great finger foods to serve as appetizer for parties or for baby and bridal showers.
Learn more about afternoon tea,tea etiquette, and how to properly make a cup of tea.
What Is The Best Bread To Use For Afternoon Tea Finger Sandwiches
The type of bread is a matter of personal preference. You can use as many or as few different types of bread as you wish. For example:
- Sundried tomato loaf
Its best if you use bread that is already sliced, rather than making a lovely homemade loaf and having the slices all uneven.
Of course, there is nothing to stop you from switching some of these up for little bread rounds or little rolls. But well be showcasing some more modern options in the weeks to come.
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What Are The Different Types Of Sandwich Fillings
Fillings and toppings for Sandwiches. Toppings for Open Sandwiches. See following recipe for further sandwich recipes: Curried Egg Sandwich Fingers. Roast Beef & Wasabi Mayo Sandwiches. Turkey, Cranberry & Avocado Sandwiches. Ham, Cheese & Tomato Chutney Sandwiches. Sour Cream & Chive Tuna Sandwiches.
Catering Tea Sandwiches Scones Desserts And More Mchughtea Room
To be able to submit to McHughTEA Room, the form must first be downloaded and viewed in Adobe Reader on your computer. Call 713-218-6300 and ask to talk with Zac or Kim if you have any questions. The following recipes are perfect for hosting a High Tea at your home or office, or serving a range of excellent, classic Afternoon Tea-style meals at any other venue. McHugh Tea Room in Bellaire, TX can accommodate all of your demands with a menu that is tailored to the theme of your special event.
Please review all of the menu options we have available and lets work together to plan the perfect celebration.
There are a plethora of them on our Facebook and Instagram pages!
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Where To Buy Tea Sandwiches
What are the best finger sandwiches?
- Directions. Spread over bread slices. Cut each into three 1-in.-wide strips. Cut carrots in half widthwise, then cut in half lengthwise. Using a vegetable peeler, shape carrot pieces into fingers. Using a small amount of additional cream cheese, attach an almond slice to the tip of each finger for finger nail. Place a finger on top of each sandwich.
How To Prepare Tea Sandwiches Ahead Of Time
- The sandwich fillings can usually be prepped a day or two before and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To make sandwiches ahead of time, assemble sandwiches the night before and loosely cover them with wax paper then a damp paper towel in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep the sandwiches fresh overnight without drying out the bread. Dont let the damp paper towel touch the sandwiches since itll make the bread soggy.
- Take tea sandwiches out of the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving so that theyre not cold. Tea sandwiches should be served when they are room temperature.
- Cucumber sandwiches are the trickiest to keep fresh so I would recommend assembling the day of but the bread and cucumber slices can be prepped the day before.
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How Far Ahead Can You Make These Finger Sandwiches
You can make these afternoon tea finger sandwiches in advance. How far depends on personal preference.
I like to make mine the morning of the afternoon tea . I might prepare the coronation chicken and egg salad the night before, or at least cook the chicken and the egg.
As I explained, I hate it when the sandwiches have been made too far in advance and refrigerated and are still quite cold when served. If you are going to make the sandwiches in advance: