Sandwiches have been around for a long time and throughout history, they have taken many forms. Even though the sandwich is credited to the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, this food has been a staple in one form or another in our human history.
The tea sandwich has a bit more of recent history. According to Saveur.com. Anna Maria Stanhope, seventh Duchess of Bedford, decided it was just too long between lunch and the time that dinner was typically served, which at that time was 8, so tea was served with those dainty sandwiches so one didn't make a pig of themselves when dinner came.
Since then, the tea sandwich is still an elegant dish to serve as hors d'oeuvre for a party, baby, or wedding shower or even if you want to have an afternoon tea with friends.
There are just three rules with Tea sandwiches"
- They come with afternoon tea. (yes, there is a morning tea, and that usually has some kind of sweet with it to get your blood pumping, but tea sandwiches are for the afternoon. tea.
- Tea sandwiches are usually small. You should only have to eat them with one or two bites.
- The crusts are usually cut off to make them easier to eat and give them a neat appearance.
If you want to cut these dainty sandwiches into fancy shapes, you can use a sharp knife, or if you have a 3D printer, grab this make at Thingiverse and print it off for your next tea sandwich project!
If you don't want to download all 60 files, but want them all, you can download the zipped file here, just remember this is a creative commons license non-commercial, so yeah, you can't sell it.
Here's the list of our favorite picks of tea sandwiches:
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Prosciutto Rose Tea SandwichesThis dainty treat a well worth the time and this recipe come with directions on how to make the prosciutto rose too. Don't know what Prosciutto is? It's an Italian ham and it can usually be found in the deli section of your store. Try this recipe the next time you have a party or host a tea!
Grab the Proscuitto Rose Tea Sandwich recipe here
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Crab Salad Tea SandwichTaste of Home has a wonderful recipe for an easy-to-make tea sandwich. Like the egg salad sandwich but with crab has gotten rave reviews. We also know everyone loves crab salad, so this is a no-brainer that it will be well received.
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English Cucumber Tea SandwichesThis sandwich is a classic and one that my friends and family like best. The first time I ever had a cucumber sandwich was in Japan. They make them with butter spread and Kewpie mayonnaise. (The Kewpie Mayooniase was important!) This recipe is different, and to be honest, I like this recipe too. Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments!
Recipe for English Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
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Tuna Tea SandwichesTuna is always a good idea for sandwiches, but this tea sandwich uses lemon pepper and goat cheese that give this sandwich a special zing. I personally like putting this filling on multigrain bread, but an experiment, That's the fun of cooking in the kitchen!
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Easy Ham & Cheese Tea SandwichesOhhowcivilized.com is an amazing website of Jee who is a certified Tea Sommelier. She has so many sandwiches to choose from you ought to go and take a look. This sandwich is no exception! If you need just snacks for the kids when they come home from school or something for a wedding shower, its simplicity and ease make it a winner!
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Collection of Tea Sandwich Recipes from the BBCI guess when it comes to tea sandwiches, we have to go to Britain and what better place than BBC food to get some ideas. They offer apple and cucumber tea sandwiches, smoked salmon, caper and cream cheese, and egg and spring onion mayonnaise sandwiches. You REALLY ought to give them a try.
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Egg Salad Tea SandwichNo list would be complete without the ubiquitous egg salad sandwich. Piggly Wiggly has a recipe for egg salad that will get your feet wet in making tea sandwiches. Go and grab the recipe, and give it a shot!
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Watercress Tea SandwichesWe at Grandma's Recipe Box love watercress sandwiches, and the tea sandwich list NEEDS to have a watercress sandwich. Big hat tip to What's Cooking America has this recipe that is a must-have for any shower or celebration that needs tea sandwiches.
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Vegetable Tea SandwichesThis sandwich was my favorite growing up and although this recipe is a bit different from the one my mom used to make, it is still amazing. If you are looking for something different and has a lot of veggies in it, then this will fill the ticket. Just a word to the wise, if you do make it, and cannot chop the veggies finely, consider grating it or putting it in the food processor and just chop until it has small pieces, not a puree, AND put the vegetables in a strainer to drain off the juice a bit. You don't want it dry, but you also don't want soup. Then spread it on just before serving. I personally like it with a green olive on top.
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Spicy Avocado Egg Salad SandwichIf avocadoes are a superfood and why not add them to an egg salad sandwich? This recipe does it in a very artful way and to say I love this recipe is an understatement. I will say though, I do add a sprinkle of alfalfa sprouts to give it a little spice and crunch, but do what you will, you need to make it for your next get-together!
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Cheesy Shrimp Tea Sandwiches (canapes)Canapes are usually served with tea sandwiches, well, actually, they are in some circles considered sandwiches. Anyway, these open-faced, decorative sandwiches are served also as horse hors d'oeuvre is a tasty treat your friends and family will thank you for.
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Salmon Tea Sandwiches (Canapes)For a crowd with discriminating tastes. this recipe is for you. It's easy to make and elegant to eat. Smoked salmon, make sure it's wild, cream cheese, and dill on a toasted baguette. It's a winner!
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