The Queen’s Favorite Smoked Salmon And Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

In honor of Queen Elizabeth after her passing, I believe these lovely little Smoked Salmon And Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are a lovely way to pay our respect.

Egg Salad Finger Sandwiches, Country Ham And Biscuits, Fresh Strawberry Scones, Classic Strawberry Jam, Pumpkin Spice Madeleines, Sunny Lemon Cheese Tartlets, and Individual Cream Cheese Pound Cakes make for a gorgeous and delicious tea menu that’s full of fresh flavors and textures. Grab a box of Earl Grey tea and your British tea is fit for a queen!

This menu is also a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day or a Bridal Shower.

The Queen took tea every afternoon between 3 and 5 o’clock. It’s said that she preferred tea sandwiches, without crusts, cut into rectangles or ‘jam pennies’, which are marmalade or raspberry jam spread onto white bread and cut into circles the size of an English penny. 

She also liked scones, clotted cream, jam, and always something sweet – often chocolate, which she adored.

What Are Tea Sandwiches?

Tea sandwiches are small, delicate sandwiches that are served in the mid to late afternoon during ‘tea service’ to satisfy hunger until dinner.

These dainty two-bite sandwiches have been around since the late 1700s when they were popularized by the 4th Earl Of Sandwich, John Montagu, as an easy party snack.

Tips For Choosing And Making Perfect Tea Sandwiches

Popular tea sandwich fillings include pimento cheese; roast beef and horseradish; ham and swiss;  tuna, chicken, egg, or shrimp salad; roasted vegetable and cream cheese; or even buffalo chicken and cream cheese. Let your imagination go wild. You’ll have success with just a few tips!

• Keep them small. A tea sandwich should be dainty and no more than 3 or 4 bites at the most.
• Use good quality white or wheat bread – very fresh, thinly sliced, and crusts removed.
• Tea sandwiches are served ‘family style’ so the fillings can’t be too ‘wet or saucy’ or the bread will become soggy.
• When planning your tea party, figure four (4) finger sandwiches per person.
• Keep fillings and the bread proportional. The bread is thin, so keep your fillings thin as well.
• Don’t add messy ingredients like pickles, tomato, or lettuce to the sandwich. They should be easy to eat with one hand.
• Be sure that the sandwiches are well seasoned. The spread, be it cream cheese or mayonnaise, should be seasoned with salt, pepper, or herbs. Any meats or cheeses should also be flavorful on their own. Each layer of flavor adds to the sandwich.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the sandwiches and wipe the knife after each cut to ensure the slices are clean and neat.
• Arrange them attractively on a tray or serving platter so that they look pretty. Presentation is important, especially for tea service.

Ingredients Needed

For the best results, use the best ingredients that you can find or afford. Each element adds significantly to the sandwich.

• Cream cheese – I used full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese.
• Fresh dill weed and fresh chives
• Lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Thin sandwich bread – I like using Pepperidge Farm Thin White or Thin Wheat. Be sure that it’s very fresh.
• Smoked salmon – if you have one in your neighborhood, it’s worth a trip to the local Kosher deli. If not, there are some pretty good brands in the grocery store. You may want to do a taste test to determine which one you like most.
• English cucumber

Steps To Make This Recipe

1. Whip together all of the ingredients for the herbed cream cheese.
2. Spread half of the bread with ½ of the cream cheese mixture.
3. Top with either smoked salmon or English cucumber slices in an even layer.
4. Spread the remaining slices of bread with the remaining cream cheese.
5. Place the bread cheese side down, on top of the fillings. Press down lightly.
6. Cut off the crusts and slice each sandwich diagonally in half.
7. Arrange on a serving platter or tray.

Print