Classic Afternoon Tea Cucumber Sandwiches
Make traditional, elegant cucumber sandwiches perfect for afternoon tea or a light lunch. This recipe features a simple cream cheese spread with dill and lemon zest.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large English cucumber
- 8 slices soft white bread
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and thinly slice the cucumber. You want slices about 1/16 inch thick. Lay the slices on paper towels and lightly sprinkle with salt. Let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then gently pat them dry.
- In a small bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, chopped dill, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and fully incorporated. This is your cream cheese sandwich filling.
- Trim the crusts from all eight slices of bread.
- Spread a thin, even layer of the cream cheese mixture onto one side of each slice of bread.
- Place four slices of the dried cucumber evenly over the cream cheese on four of the bread slices.
- Top with the remaining four slices of bread, cream cheese side down, to form four sandwiches.
- Wrap the sandwiches tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This helps the flavors meld and prevents sogginess.
- Just before serving, use a sharp knife to cut each sandwich into two or three small rectangles or triangles.
Notes
- To prevent soggy bread, ensure your cucumber slices are very dry after salting.
- For an extra layer of flavor, you can lightly toast the bread before spreading the filling, but this is optional for a classic soft tea sandwich.
- These are best made and served the same day for optimal freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 small sandwiches
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 16
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 35