Cucumber Tea Sandwiches 3 Spreads & 3 Ways
Choose from three flavorfully-delicious spreads and three ways of assembly to build a beautiful array of elegant Cucumber Tea Sandwiches for your next get-together. They will not disappoint!
You know, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are one of those things that can be so absolutely simply-delicious ... or can be a complete flavorless let down. Quite often, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are a touch of cream cheese topped with clunky cucumbers atop a bit of soggy white bread. Which can leave you feeling like they were nothing more than an after-thought filler on the menu.
But when done well, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches can be a flavorfully-delicious highlight of a tea menu or party spread. And with paying just a little extra attention to three simple things, doing Cucumber Tea Sandwiches well is truly quite easy.
So what are the three things to pay just a little extra attention to?
With paying just a little extra attention to three simple things, doing Cucumber Tea Sandwiches well is truly quite easy.
The three elements of Cucumber Tea Sandwiches, of course! ... 1. The spread. 2. The cucumbers. and 3. The bread.
When it comes to the spread, simple additions like fresh dill, lemon zest, or a combination of finely chopped fresh vegetables can make all the difference in elevating the basic cream cheese, and transform it into a fabulously delicious Cucumber Tea Sandwich filling that will not disappoint.
The recipes for my three favorite spreads ... Lemony Dill Spread, Chunky Cucumber Spread, and Vegetable Spread ... are included at the bottom of this post. I'm truly hard-pressed to pick which one I like best! ... but if you twisted my arm, I would probably have to go with the Vegetable Spread.
When it comes to the spread, simple additions like fresh dill, lemon zest, or a combination of finely chopped fresh vegetables can make all the difference.
As for the cucumbers, choose firm cucumbers with few seeds ... either small, young 'regular' cucumbers or English 'seedless' cucumbers. Then slice the cucumbers very thinly with a good sharp knife (I personally love my Henckels knives) or mandolin.
And for the bread? Choose good quality sandwich bread that's got a bit firmer texture and crumb than most regular white breads. I like to use Pepperidge Farms ... it's got a great 'weight' to it that provides a perfect base for fabulous Cucumber Tea Sandwiches.
Once those three elements ... the spread, the cucumbers, and the bread ... are in place, it's just a matter of choosing a 'way' to assemble the sandwiches and you're well on your way to a beautiful array of elegant and tasty Cucumber Tea Sandwiches that are anything but an after-thought.
Let's take a look at three potential ways to assemble the sandwiches:
1. Open-Faced Thinly-sliced cucumbers are decoratively arranged on a single piece of bread, and then garnished with fresh herbs. The bread can be cut in various shapes such as triangles, rectangles, or squares.
2. Basic Closed Thinly-sliced cucumbers and spread are layered between two slices of bread. The sandwiches are then cut into the desired shape, typically small squares or rectangle 'fingers.'
All three of these Cucumber Tea Sandwich spreads and 'ways' were made by a friend of mine and me for a tea party we had at church recently. I'm happy to report that all were a huge hit!
No drab spreads. No clunky cucumbers. No soggy white bread.
And no feelings of the sandwiches simply being an after-thought filler item on the tea party menu.
No drab spreads. No clunky cucumbers. No soggy white bread.
And no feelings of the sandwiches simply being an after-thought filler item on the tea party menu.
So whip up a flavorfully-delicious spread or two, slice those cucumbers thin, and grab some good-quality bread to get building a beautiful array of elegant Cucumber Tea Sandwiches. They will not disappoint!
Check out these other perfect-for-tea little bites:
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Yield: varies based on chosen assembly method
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches 3 Spreads & 3 Ways
Choose from three flavorfully-delicious spreads and three ways of assembly to build a beautiful array of elegant Cucumber Tea Sandwiches for your next get-together. Make just one or make them all - They will not disappoint!
prep time: 3 hourcook time: total time: 3 H
ingredients:
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches with Lemony Dill Spread:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- packed 1/3 c. roughly chopped fresh dill
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. finely chopped lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced (these lay on top of the Lemony Dill Spread once the sandwiches are assembled; slice when you're ready to assemble the sandwiches)
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches with Chunky Cucumber Spread:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 c. mayonnaise
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, & finely chopped
- 1 T. chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced (these lay on top of the Chunky Cucumber Spread once the sandwiches are assembled; slice when you're ready to assemble the sandwiches)
Vegetable Spread Tea Sandwiches: (typically served triple-decker style)
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, & finely chopped
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 1/2 c. sliced green onions
- 2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 T. mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Bread for Assembly:
- Approximately 12 to 16 slices good-quality sandwich bread (such as Pepperidge Farm) for open-faced or closed tea sandwiches
- Approximately 24 to 30 slices good-quality sandwich bread for triple-decker tea sandwiches
instructions:
How to cook Cucumber Tea Sandwiches 3 Spreads & 3 Ways
To Prepare the Spread(s):
- Place cream cheese or cream cheese and mayonnaise (depending on which spread you're making) in a bowl; stir with a spoon or fork until creamy and free of lumps.
- Add any seasoning/non-vegetable ingredients; stir until well combined.
- Fold in any vegetable ingredients.
- Chill cream cheese mixture for about 2 hours {or overnight} to allow flavors to meld.
To Prepare the Tea Sandwiches:
- Remove spread(s) from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to assembling sandwiches to allow it to soften and become easily spreadable.
- If using Lemony Dill Spread or Chunky Cucumber Spread, thinly slice the English cucumber with a very sharp knife or mandolin.
- TO MAKE OPEN-FACED TEA SANDWICHES: Spread a thin layer of spread on each slice of bread and arrange cucumber slices decoratively on top. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwiches into desired shapes {2 triangles or 3 fingers}.
- TO MAKE CLOSED TEA SANDWICHES: Spread a thin layer of spread on each slice of bread and arrange cucumber slices decoratively on top. Place an additional piece of bread on top of cucumbers. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwiches into fourths.
- TO MAKE TRIPLE-DECKER TEA SANDWICHES: Spread a layer of spread on a slice of bread. Place an additional piece of bread on top. Repeat layers, making a sandwich stack that includes a total of 3 slices of bread. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwich stacks into fourths. (For an extra-pretty effect, I like to use 2 pieces of white bread on the top and bottom with a piece of wheat bread in the middle.)
- Garnish tops with a small sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley or fresh dill.
- Serve immediately. Or, layer in an airtight container with waxed paper between each layer and on top of the top layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Ideally, cucumber tea sandwiches should be served immediately or within about 2 to 3 hours of having been assembled.
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