Description
Barefoot Contessa tea sandwiches offer elegant simplicity for afternoon gatherings. Quick cucumber and cream cheese creations delight guests with classic British-inspired charm.
Ingredients
Scale
- 20 slices white bread (buttermilk, store-bought)
- 10 oz (1 ¼ cups) cream cheese
- 1 English cucumber
- lemon juice (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- chopped fresh chives (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Preparation: Lay two bread slices on a clean surface, ensuring precise alignment and smooth positioning.
- Cream Cheese Layer: Generously spread cream cheese across entire bread surfaces, creating a uniform, edge-to-edge coating that provides a rich, creamy foundation.
- Cucumber Deployment: Arrange cucumber slices in elegant, overlapping pattern over cream cheese, covering the entire surface with delicate, translucent layers.
- Flavor Enhancement: Sprinkle lemon juice across cucumber to brighten taste and prevent oxidation, then season with kosher salt and black pepper for nuanced depth.
- Optional Garnish: Scatter finely chopped chives over cucumber layer to introduce a subtle, herbaceous complexity and visual intrigue.
- Sandwich Assembly: Carefully position second bread slice cream cheese-side down, gently pressing to seal the sandwich and create a cohesive structure.
- Finishing Technique: Trim sandwich crusts using a sharp serrated knife, then slice diagonally into four precise triangular segments, presenting an elegant, refined tea sandwich ready for serving.
Notes
- Chill Cream Cheese: Soften cream cheese at room temperature for easier spreading and smoother texture, preventing tear and uneven coverage on bread.
- Cut Cucumber Precisely: Use a mandoline or sharp knife to achieve ultra-thin, uniform cucumber slices that layer smoothly and prevent sandwich sliding.
- Season Strategically: Add salt and pepper sparingly to enhance cucumber flavor without overwhelming the delicate sandwich profile.
- Trim with Care: Use a sharp serrated knife at a 45-degree angle to remove crusts cleanly, ensuring professional-looking presentation and uniform sandwich edges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks, Lunch
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 20
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg