Tea Sandwich Ideas....

Tea Sandwich Ideas.... I came across this cute idea for making tea sandwiches some time ago. I just love afternoon tea...any time of the day:). This idea is more about presentation rather than a specific sandwich recipe. It was the presentation that caught my attention. I am always on the lookout for new sandwich ideas. This was perfect! I LOVED the idea and could not, not share it with you:). I looked through my freezer and noticed I only had 4 slices of white bread(including the end piece). I hoped it would be enough for me to make the sandwiches and still have them look somewhat pretty. You might notice some brown edges still on some sandwiches.... somehow I managed to squeeze a small and large flower cookie cutter on the same slice of bread! I tried to make do with what I had...but the main idea is there. Don't throw away the bread scraps...process them in a food processor and use them for bread crumbs. You can use them as a filler for meatballs/meatloaf, or for a crunchy topping on your favorite casserole. Just freeze the bread crumbs and use it when you need it.

You can find my inspiration for this post here...she had a wonderful tutorial with incredible photos. These flower sandwiches would be perfect for a little girls tea time...though you can definitely use it for an adult afternoon tea. I don't see why not...I think it would be perfect for a Mother's Day afternoon tea. Flowers and springtime go hand in hand:)....

This sandwich does mimic the well-known linzer cookie...and maybe it should have a sweet sandwich filling. But I liked the idea so much, that I have adapted it to include savory fillings. I am including some ideas for the sandwich fillings...these are just ideas. Feel free to come up with something you like. Directions are pretty much self-explanatory. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

Sliced bread, white, wheat, potato, rye, pumpernickel, etc....

Sandwich fillings:

Savory

egg salad with celery

cucumber/chive cream cheese spread with dill

Canadian ham/green onion cream cheese spread with curry

smoked salmon/cream cheese spread with capers

tuna salad

chicken/pecan salad

boursin cheese with crumbled bacon

crab salad

shrimp salad

sundried tomato/goat cheese spread

olive tapenade

ajvar/roasted vegetable spread

Non savory

nutella/raspberry preserves

peanut butter/jelly

almond butter/jam

butter/jam

Utensils: if you don't have flower cookie cutters, you can always improvise and use round cookie cutters (large and small); it will still be cute.

flower cookie cutters, large and miniature

miniature heart, round, flower, star, diamond, tea shapes, etc.

Directions:

Cut flower shapes from bread using cookie cutters. For the top layer, cut out a smaller flower/round/heart shape. This will make your sandwich bread pieces.

Make sandwich fillings.

For afternoon tea, I usually make a variety of different sandwiches...to include feta cheese phyllo triangles, petite quiches, etc. But for this post, I made a few quick fillings so I could show you the variety of choices...

I made an egg salad with celery(try tossing in some chopped pecans) sandwich...

A cucumber and dill sandwich...

And, a curried ham sandwich.

The sandwich spread base can include some softened cream cheese with chopped chives/green onions, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper. You can then divide the cream cheese spread base and vary the fillings. You can add chopped ham with curry or chopped cucumber and dill...

I also made the original peanut butter and jelly sandwich....love the heart shape.