Bite-Sized Sandwiches for Tea Time!

Since we’re on the tea theme, I’m going to suggest a few different types of sandwiches you can serve with your afternoon tea (or even just for lunch)!

Cucumber/Dill Sandwiches

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      1 cucumber, sliced thinly width-wide (cutting circles)

·      2 tbsp fresh or dried dill

·      Butter, softened (for spreading)

·      Half a loaf of bread (any type you prefer)

Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Spread one side of each slice with butter, layer every other slice with cucumber slices, and sprinkle with some of the dill. Close the sandwiches, and cut into whatever size sandwiches you want. Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      Half a loaf of bread

·      4 oz smoked salmon, cut into slices/pieces

·      Half a red onion, sliced into thin strips

·      Cream cheese, softened (for spreading)

Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Spread one side of each slice with cream cheese, layer a couple pieces of smoked salmon on every other slice, and place some slices of red onion on the salmon. Close the sandwiches, and cut them into whatever size sandwiches you want. Enjoy!

Smoked Rainbow Trout (or any other smoked fish)

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      Half a loaf of bread

·      10 oz smoked rainbow trout/smoked fish, cut into slices/pieces

·      Half a red onion, sliced into thin strips

·      Butter, softened (for spreading)

·      Half a lemon (to squeeze)

Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Spread one side of each slice with butter, layer a couple pieces of smoked fish on every other slice, place some slices of red onion on the salmon, and squeeze some lemon juice over it. Close the sandwiches, and cut them into whatever size sandwiches you want. Enjoy!

Curry Egg

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      5 large eggs, room temperature

·      ¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest

·      1.5 tsp lemon juice

·      ½ tsp curry powder

·      1/8 tsp dry mustard

·      ¼ cup mayonnaise

·      Salt and black pepper

Put the eggs in a large saucepan with cold water, and bring the saucepan to a boil. Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let it stand for 10 minutes. Drain the water and cool under running water. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let them sit until they’re completely cold, about 10-15 minutes. Peel the shells off the eggs and pat them dry. Finely chop the eggs and transfer to a medium-sized bowl, adding the rest of the ingredients and mashing them together. Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Add the egg mixture to every other slice, close the sandwiches, and cut the sandwiches into whatever size you want. Enjoy!

Let's start tea time with some Scones!

So how about some tea? Tea time is a very popular tradition in Britain, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy it too! It simply consists of well-brewed tea, simple small sandwiches, light desserts, and, of course, warm, fluffy scones! Today I’ll show you my favorite scone recipe and my favorite pairing for them, clotted cream!

Ingredients:

For the scones…

·      2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

·      2 tsp baking powder

·      1 tbsp sugar

·      ½ tsp salt

·      6 tbsp cold butter, cut into very small chunks

·      2 eggs, beaten

·      ½ cup heavy cream (I’ve found in a lot of cases besides whipping that half-and-half and whole milk make good substitutes for heavy cream, in case you don’t have it)

·      ½ tsp vanilla

For the clotted cream…

·      6 oz cream cheese, softened

·      ½ up sour cream

·      2 tbsp powdered sugar

To make the scones…

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a baking tray. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Work in the butter with a stand mixer or food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the beaten eggs, cream/milk, and vanilla, and stir until combined. Sprinkle your workspace with flour and knead the dough on it until not too sticky and smooth. Roll the dough flat to about ¾-inch and cut into whatever shapes you want. Put the pieces on the baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes.

To make the clotted cream…

Whisk the cream cheese until smooth and shiny, then stir in the sour cream and powdered sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Hot Cakes! (thick, delicious pancakes)

Everyone’s had pancakes, but have you tried Japanese hot cakes? These thick, cake-like pancakes are incredibly yummy and worth a try if you’re a pancake lover!

Ingredients:

·      1.5 cups AP flour

·      3 tbsp powdered sugar

·      2 tsp baking powder

·      ½ tsp kosher salt

·      1.25 cups milk

·      4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

·      ½ tsp vanilla extract

·      2 eggs, separated

·      ¼ tsp cream of tartar

·      You WILL need a couple of 3-inch-wide-by-2.5-inch-high ring molds

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, butter, vanilla extract, and egg yolks in a separate bowl, then stir it into the flour mixture. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold in a fourth of the whites into the batter until combined, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Spray the ring molds and a nonstick frying pan lightly, and put the pan and the ring molds over medium heat. Fill the ring molds halfway with batter, cover with a lid, and cook until the batter rises to the top of the molds, about 5 minutes. Flip the molds carefully, cover, and cook until golden, another 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, remove the mold, and enjoy with butter and maple syrup!