TIP OF THE DAY: Tea Sandwiches Are Not Just For Tea
Classic tea sandwiches are cut into fingers (shown above), triangles or pinwheels. Photo by Bit Boy | Wikimedia. |
Tea sandwiches are adorable. Who can resist miniature food? Those who have made them know how easy they are. They can be as simple as curried tuna salad or sliced cucumbers and herbs with sweet butter. Expensive ingredients are not required. Nor is special bread. We typically buy loaves of Pepperidge Farm Very Thin white bread and whole wheat bread. You can use whatever bread you like, but the key is to keep it light; the bread shouldn’t overwhelm the fillings. Most importantly, you don’t need to serve tea sandwiches with tea. For snacks, as cocktail food or for a light dinner with soup or salad, the whole of tea sandwiches is greater than the sum of the parts. (Otherwise stated, they have much more appeal than a conventional sandwiches.) Classic tea sandwich shapes include fingers (slender rectangles), squares, triangles and pinwheels (cut from wraps). While traditionally made with two slices of bread, they can be open-face. |
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But you can be even more fanciful and get out the cookie cutters: animals, diamonds, hearts, stars, whatever you have. For a trompe l’oeil, use gingerbread men. For holidays, dig out the turkey, the Christmas tree, the candy cane. (For the days after Thanksgiving, stave off turkey sandwich boredom with turkey and cranberry tea sandwiches—whether or not you have a turkey cookie cutter.) |
Plan on four to six finger sandwiches per person for snacks or when serving a light lunch or dinner alongside a large bowl of soup or salad. Plan for two or three with cocktails. HOW TO CREATE TEA SANDWICHES You can start with a book such as “Tastefully Small Finger Sandwiches: Easy Party Sandwiches for All Occasions” (more information). Or, grab that thin-sliced bread and mix and match from the ingredients that follow. Tea sandwiches should be light and delicate. The idea is “just a bite.” Pick A Filling |
Have some fun with it: Use fanciful cookie cutters to make tea sandwiches. Photo by Kenneth Clawson | Wikimedia. |
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Pick A Spread In England the bread is traditionally buttered, but we enjoy different spreads that complement the ingredients.
Share your favorite tea sandwich combinations. And check out the history of afternoon tea.
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