Monday, February 28, 2011

Decorate Tea Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches are ideal for elegant luncheons.


Tea sandwiches are delicate finger foods made with a variety of sweet and savory ingredients. Typically served during afternoon tea, the sandwiches make an elegant presentation when displayed on a serving tray. You can decorate the sandwiches by forming them into creative shapes or with additional edible items. Popular tea sandwich filings include cream cheese and cucumber, egg and tuna salads, smoked salmon, watercress and goat cheese. If you're planning to serve tea sandwiches at a party, make more than one type to please all guests.








Instructions








1. Make your favorite tea sandwiches, such as egg salad, cucumber mint or chicken curry on freshly baked bread.


2. Trim the crusts off of the bread. Cut the sandwiches into small triangles, squares or rectangles using a long, serrated knife for clean edges. Use cookie cutters to cut the sandwiches into designs to coordinate with a special occasion, such as hearts for a Valentine's Day or flowers for a garden party. Spread the filling in the centers of large, crustless pieces of bread and roll them into cone shapes as another option.


3. Press small, edible flowers or herbs onto the tops of the tea sandwiches for a decorative and creative touch. Use a bit of cream cheese to secure the flowers into place if needed. Choose herbs and flowers that complement the sandwich fillings, such as lavender with egg salad or rosemary blossoms with chicken salad.


4. Arrange the tea sandwiches on an elegant gold, silver or porcelain tray. Sprinkle additional edible flowers and herbs around the sandwiches if you wish. Garnish the tray with hand-carved radish rosebuds or tomatoes as another option.

Tags: additional edible, another option, cream cheese, edible flowers, edible flowers herbs