Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Dainty Tea Sandwiches


Choosing a favorite type of food for afternoon tea is difficult. I can never make up my mind if I like scones or tea sandwiches best! Tea sandwiches are always so tasty. Savory little bites of soft, light, crust less bread filled with creamy, crunchy, and flavorful fillings are always appealing to me. Or finger sandwiches made from hearty rye or a fragrant oat loaf are sure to please the palate of me and friends who stop by for tea. Crisp lettuce greens melded with the crunch of cucumbers, or tender radishes sliced onto a piece of buttered bread and sprinkled with mineral salts --- always pure delight. Even peanut butter and jam makes a delightful tea sandwich if cut into cute and dainty shapes. Cookie cutter sandwiches are always the best! Here are a few favorite recipes to share with you.


Lemon Tea Sandwiches

4 Tbsp. Earth Balance (or unsalted butter) at room temperature
6 thin slices whole wheat bread
1 lemon, sliced thinly and with seeds removed
Salt to taste (pepper optional)

Spread the Earth Balance on the whole grain bread slices. Cover half the slices with lemon slices and season with salt. Add the top slice of buttered bread. Cut off crusts and then cut each sandwich into quarters in a triangle shape. Makes 24 sandwiches.


Pineapple Tea Sandwiches

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple
2 Tbsp. flour
1 c. finely chopped nuts
3/4 c. sugar
Veganaise
Sandwich bread, large loaf

into mixture to make a consistency easy for spreading. Place in Combine pineapple, flour, chopped nuts, and sugar in a large skillet. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to cool. Then mix one or two tablespoons Veganaise into mixture and blend. Place in refrigerator and cool overnight. Remove crusts from sliced bread. Spread spread on bread (open-faced) and cut each slice into quarters. Garnish each with a mint leaf.


Carrot Tea Sandwiches

1 - 8 oz. Tofutti cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Earth Balance (or butter)
4 carrots, finely grated (about 3/4 c.)
2 Tbsp. grated onion
2 Tbsp. minced green olives with pimento
Dash of salt

Mix all ingredients until blended and chill. Spread on sliced pumpernickel bread and top with second slice. Cut into quarters or pretty shapes. Garnish with herbs or eatable flowers. Minced celery can be added for variety in flavor and texture.


Herbed Walla Walla Sweet Onion Tea Sandwiches

1/2 cup Veganaise
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 tablespoons tarragon,
Fresh lemon juice
Hot pepper sauce
Salt
8 very thin slices white bread
1 to 2 Walla Walla Sweet Onions, sliced very thinly

Stir together Veganaise, parsley, and tarragon. Season with lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, and salt to taste. Spread 1 side of bread slices with the Veganaise mixture. Arrange the onion slices evenly on half the bread slices. Top with the remaining bread slices. Press gently together. Trim crusts and cut sandwiches into quarters or fingers.

In another bowl, chop 1/2 cup parsley. Dip the edges of the sandwiches in the parsley for a beautiful garnished effect.

Photo: Elm Street Antiques

19 comments:

  1. Yum! Could you send some sandwiches over for breakfast? Please??

    My Nana could eat these tea sandwiches--we use these vegan products all the time for her because of her lactose intolerance.

    Hmm...maybe an addition to my menu for "Tea with Nana" on Monday.

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  2. Yum. I'm an onion lover and I'm definitely going to try the onion sandwich...

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  3. These are unusual sandwiches, I would like to try them!

    I'm enjoying the Blog-a-Thon so much. All the new recipes everyone has posted make me want to have a tea party!

    Katherine
    (P.S. - I added two new things to my post this morning. I was so tired last night, I forgot them.)

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  4. Anonymous7:42 AM

    I love all the recipes you have posted. I am OVERWHELMED -- you have done such a great job in bringing such a great group of women together!

    Thanks also for leaving the comment on my blog -- you are welcome to stop in anytime, and we can have tea together using those Spode dishes! :)

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  5. What a beautiful picture laDonna!

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  6. Anonymous8:33 AM

    those sound delicious..I am imagining the lemon on some earl grey tea sweet bread...mmm...

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  7. I'm delighted that you included the sandwich recipes. Thank you! I've posted my favorite recipe.

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  8. Some of the blgos I read all the time have participated in your hospitalitea challenge each week. I ama tea lover and don'tknow why it's taken me so long to read your blog! I just read a bunch of your older posts and had a great time. I feel like I've found a kindred spirit. I'll check back when you give your new challenge and hopefully I can participate.
    Rhondi

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  9. The pineapple sandwiches and the onion ones sound so nice- a sweet and a savory. I would love to try those sometime, thanks for sharing the recipes.

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  10. I'm delighted to see so many vegan treats! My daughter will be coming over for a tea party and she is a vegan; it will be nice to have such a nice variety of treats that she can eat!

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  11. WHat a delightful bread box you have, and the recipes sound yummy. Thank you for sharing them.

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  12. What wonderful recipes are being shared this week! Thank you for hosting this blog-a-thon!

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  13. These all sound delicious. I've had great fun taking part in tea time treats this week. Thank you for hosting this lovely event.

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  14. Anonymous4:37 AM

    I just found your blog, and describing it as lovely is "under-describing". Everything is exquisite. You clearly possess a lovely spirit. Thank you for sharing.

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  15. Those sound good and I will have to give them a try. I love shortbread cookies with hot tea. They are just perfect together. :)

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  16. I have never had a Lemon Tea Sandwich, it sounds like a must try recipe. I miss out on this weeks theme but maybe I can get two in this week and make up for lost time. This is such a fun event.

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  17. Is everyone being polite, or am I in a minority? My face screwed up and my tongue tingled at the thought of a LEMON sandwich!!!! We have a product called Vegemite here in Australia, which most Aussies are brought up on, having it on their school lunch sandwiches for years! But give it to an American, and we get the same reaction as mine to lemon sandwiches - EEWWWWW!!!!!

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  18. Mmmm...I will vote for tea sandwiches. If I had to pick (and what a choice!), I'd pick them over scones. But such a dilemma!

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  19. There is a place near Albury Australia that is called Walla Walla.

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Thank you for commenting on my blog post. I am always happy to hear from blog readers. Your words encourage and inspire me. I am glad you stopped by to share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.