Cucumber tea sandwiches
And how to throw a proper tea party…
Don’t even think of lifting that pinky! It’s a major faux pas along with leaving your spoon in the cup or worse, putting the teaspoon in your mouth. There are numerous myths regarding the “pinky up” origin story but it’s unanimous among etiquette experts that it simply isn’t cultured to do so. These sandwiches make an excellent addition to a bridal or baby shower buffet alongside scones, macarons,(which I bought at Trader Joe’s) and of course tea, with sugar, lemon and milk. Scones served with jam are a traditional accompaniment in British afternoon tea. Clotted cream is often served and can be found at Whole Foods. You don’t need real silver or expensive tiered trays to enjoy a tea party! Paper doilies are available at most super markets and add a sweet touch to a simple platter or plate. At my baby shower, my mother-in-law made flower arrangements using teapots found at Goodwill and we gave them away as game prizes.
Tea is the most popular drink in the world, after water and has SO much history! Tea originated in China and spread in popularity through British Colonization. The Brits have a bit of a national obsession with Tea, even having times during the day carved out for tea breaks (Called Elevensies at 11:00am). What we tend to associate with tea parties come from British “Afternoon Tea”, which were invented in 1840 by Anna-Duchess of Bedford, when she became hungry around 4:00pm each day. With formal dinner not being served until much later, she asked that a tray of tea, bread, butter and cake be brought to her room (Um, who can I speak to about having cake brought to my room?). Her friends began to join her and the tradition spread like wildfire. Ladies of leisure began enjoying this tradition in tea rooms across Britain. Today in England, the tradition lives on in fancy hotels and specialty tea rooms. Just don‘t call it “high tea” which actually can mean dinner across Britain.
Inspiration for this post came while polishing my antique silver collection. (By the way, polishing silver is hard work! I felt like I belonged downstairs in Downton Abbey!) I inherited several antique silver spoons from my Grandpa Lynn years ago which sparked a collection, to which I added trays and an antique silver teapot from my husband’s grandfather. My favorite spoon (pictured below) is from 1791! It’s amazing that I own a family heirloom from exactly 200 years before I was born! While polishing, I was inspired to create a tea party. In these times of Covid and being stuck indoors, it’s even more important that we share meaningful experiences with those we love. I hope this will inspire you to create a tea party for your loved ones or spark inspiration for a bridal or baby shower. Every year I had my 5th grade class create a tea party in my cooking class and they all loved it(even the boys!)
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of white bread (about 26 slices)
- 1 8 ounce package whipped cream cheese
- 1 sprig dill (stem removed and chopped)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
- 1 English cucumber
Instructions
- Slice cucumber into very thin, even slices (or use a mandolin)
- In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix until combined.
- Spread an even layer on 2 slices of bread. Layer on cucumber slices and sandwich the bread together. (you don’t need to spread the cream cheese and cucumbers to the edge of the bread-the crusts will be removed)
- Cut off the crusts so you have a square shape. Then cut diagonally so that you have 2 equal triangles.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to serve-they dry out if left out. Arrange on a platter when ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
109.80Fat (grams)
3.99Sat. Fat (grams)
1.97Carbs (grams)
15.40Fiber (grams)
0.91Net carbs
14.49Sugar (grams)
2.18Protein (grams)
3.19Sodium (milligrams)
181.08Cholesterol (grams)
8.81