~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

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.

4 comments:

Gloria Baker said...

These are awesome, you are an star!! I think I had some shades like this, xxx gloria

Sailaja Damodaran said...

Kids will love it.......

Speranta said...

frumos ,fff.foarte elegant.nu mai amce sa spun decat .Felicitari.

Ellie said...

Gloria,
Aww...thanks! So sweet of you to take the time to comment. I think I still have a pair of those flower sunglasses somewhere:)...

Sailaja,
I think little girls will love them!

Speranta,
Oh, iti multumesc pentru mesajul asa de incurajator! Domnul sa te binecuvinteze! ~Ellie