How to Make Tea Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches are a dainty complement to afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea has been a tradition in England since the 1800s. Lunch was a small meal at the time, so afternoon tea was used to provide a light meal at 4 p.m. to help stave off hunger pains until the evening meal. Traditional tea sandwich recipes share five characteristics: they're small, crustless, thin-sliced, flavorful, and they're spread with soft butter or cream cheese. Tea sandwich recipes can be varied and easy to follow.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Sharp bread knife
• Thin slices of high-quality white or wheat bread
• Unsalted butter
• Seedless cucumber
• Watercress
• Salt
• Alfalfa sprouts

1. Combine 1/2 cup of room temperature unsalted butter and 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped watercress in a bowl.

2. Lay out an equal number of bread slices. Spread a thin layer of the watercress mixture on one side of each of the bread slices. Freezing the bread prior to making the sandwiches will make it easier to handle and cut.

3. Place thin slices of the seedless cucumber on half of the bread slices. Sprinkle a little salt on the cucumbers and cover with some of the alfalfa sprouts. Place the remaining slices of bread on top of cucumbers and sprouts, buttered side down.

4. Cut the crust from each sandwich, then cut in half diagonally twice to create four small triangles.

5. Arrange triangle tea sandwiches on a tray and garnish decoratively. Cover with waxed paper and place in refrigerator until needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Cookie cutters can be used to produce decorative shaped sandwiches.

References

• What's Cooking America: Cucumber Tea Sandwich
• Great Party Recipes: Savory Tea Sandwich Recipes