Tea Sandwich Series: Cucumber Sandwiches - Throwback Thursday

2011 Photo

I love dainty Tea Sandwiches.  So I decided I must post a Series of Tea Sandwiches here on the blog.  Today's sandwich is the very "English" Cucumber Sandwich.   You can make a dozen of these sandwiches in minutes and they are perfect for a party, light lunch or snack.

Ingredients: 

1 English Cucumber(see note)

1/2 cup chive cream cheese (see note)

2-3 Tbs of butter or margarine

salt and pepper

2 tsp of vinegar

1 pound of sandwich bread (see note)

Notes:  

1. I recommend the English Cucumber for these sandwiches because they are less "watery" and "seedy".  You can also use the skin so you get the lovely green color in your sandwiches. I also recommend slicing the cucumbers very thin and a mandolin slicer  does the best job.
2. Chive flavored cream cheese is a key ingredient to my cucumber sandwiches.  If you cannot find this, you can try to make your own by mixing plain cream cheese with 1/2 tsp of onion powder and 2Tbs of minced fresh chives.  I also like the texture of the "whipped cream cheese because it spreads much easier on the bread.
3. I recommend sandwich bread for these Tea Sandwiches. They are sliced thinner and tend to be softer than regular bread.  I also recommend white bread because the flavor is mild it allows the cucumber and the spread to take center stage.

Directions:

Slice the cucumbers then salt and pepper them well.  Add 2tsp of white vinegar, mix everything well and allow them to sit for a few minutes.

Mix the chive cream cheese, butter/margarine and some extra pepper for the spread.  You want the ingredients to be soft, but still solid.  I suggest you keep the ingredients cool so it allows the spread to be applied easily, but doesn't melt onto the bread .

 Apply the spread on each slice of bread.  Then cover one slice of bread with about 2 layers of thin cucumbers (try not to get too much liquid with the cucumbers).  Top with the other slice of bread.

Finally, cut the crust off all the sides of the bread using a sharp serrated knife.  This step is optional, but it gives the cucumber sandwiches a very clean and beautiful presentation.  You can also cut the sandwich into any shape you like.  I cut them simply in half.  You can cut them into quarters, triangles etc...

Note: A tip to keep the bread soft and not dry out is to put a slightly damp paper towel over the sandwiches. Enjoy.

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