Tea Sandwich Tutorial

[kirra]

Tea Sandwich Tutorial

Traditional Tea Sandwich Recipes Share Five Characteristics:

They're small. Regular-size sandwiches are cut into 4 squares or triangles, or about 3 fingers. Less often, they are cut into decorative shapes with a cookie cutter, but much of the sandwich goes to waste that way.

They're crustless. Remove the crusts before cutting the sandwiches to size.

They're thin-sliced. Several types of bread come thin-sliced. Another option is to purchase square-topped unsliced loaves of bread and have the bakery slice them thinly for you. Or you can do it yourself with a sharp knife or electric carving knife and a little practice. A 2-pound loaf of bread yields at least 20 slices, 10 uncut sandwiches, 40 tea sandwiches.

They're flavorful. (Yes, even the cucumber sandwiches.) Tea sandwich recipes are savory fare, not sweet, often prepared with scallions, garlic, spicy mustard, pepper or hot sauce.

Each tea sandwich is spread with soft butter or cream cheese, or something similar, to prevent soggy sandwiches. Peanut butter (with banana slices or jelly) is just right for a child's tea party.

Tea Sandwich Recipes

Wheat, white, sourdough, pumpernickel, rye…the choice of bread is yours. Or, for a creative checkerboard effect, use one white slice and one wheat per sandwich.

It takes about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of soft butter or cream cheese spread, 1 to 1 1/2 cups of spreadable filling, (2 cups if it is a composite of spread and meat, seafood, cheese, or nuts, etc.), and 3/4 lb. of sliced meat to make 10 sandwiches, 40 quarter sandwiches.