Pullman Loaf - Pain de Mie

A pullman loaf, or pain de mie, can be used just as you would any other loaf of bread. But it has some other uses as well. If you're not familiar with it, it is a loaf baked in a straight-sided pan with a lid on top so that the loaf is perfectly rectangular and the slices perfectly square. It is the classic French sandwich bread, soft and fluffy yet, with its tight crumb, quite sturdy. 

It's for those who like uniformly shaped sandwiches or cutting tea sandwiches into squares, triangles, or rectangles with a great deal less waste. The first thing I used a pullman loaf for years ago was pinwheel tea sandwiches (slice the loaf horizontally, spread on the filling, roll up, wrap, chill, slice into pinwheel sandwiches).

I lost the lid to my pullman pan years ago, but I've come up with a way to "make-do," which you'll find in step 5 of the directions below. It came in handy when I got on that Pain Perdu - French Toast kick recently and another search for the lid came up empty. It's my very favorite bread for French toast ...

and for grilled sandwiches, for two reasons: 1. the taste and texture of the bread, and 2. because four of them fit perfectly on my square griddle!

Of course, you could just make my recipe and bake it in a regular 9x5 loaf tin and enjoy the delicious bread with a crowned top! Tell me your thoughts on Pain de Mie.

  

Pullman Loaf - Pain de Mie

(Makes one 9x4x4-inch/1.5-pound/680 grams loaf)

3 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (17.5 ounces/496 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar

2 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt

1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml or grams) water or half each milk and water

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter

1 large egg 

1 In a 2.5- to 3-quart mixing bowl, measure or weigh the flour. Take out 1/8 cup and set aside for kneading and shaping. Whisk in the sugar, yeast and salt. 

2 In a 1-cup glass measure, measure the water, or water and milk; heat in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Stir in the butter until it is melted. Check that the temperature of the mixture is very warm (120 to 130F/49 to 54C), but not over 130F/54C.

3 Make a well in the center of the flour, then add warm liquid and egg to the well. With dough whisk or large spoon, slowly stir until combined. Knead gently in the bowl with one hand until the dough comes together.

4 Scrape dough onto very lightly floured (from that reserved 1/8 cup) work surface and knead gently for about 10 minutes, using some more of the reserved flour as needed, until smooth and bouncy. Place it in a lightly oiled (I use 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil) 2-quart glass measure (makes it easy to tell when dough has doubled) and cover; let rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled in size.

5 Grease well a 9x4x4-inch pullman pan and lid* with solid shortening (I use 2 teaspoons of Crisco).

 

* I lost the lid to my pullman pan years ago, so I do this: Pull off a 12x8-inch piece of aluminum foil and shape it to the top of the loaf pan. Grease just the center part that will cover the top of the loaf pan. Then when it's time to put the lid on, I put that preshaped piece of greased-in-the-center foil over the top of the pan, place a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan on top of the foil, then place a "heavy object" on the quarter sheet pan. I thought of a foil-covered brick, but it seemed too heavy and bulky. Next thought, my tortilla press, but it's too heavy for this task. Almost went with a couple of all-metal tools from the garage, but then I remembered my Cast Iron Heat Diffuser and found that it weighed about 1.5 pounds. Perfect!

I actually use aluminum foil between the bread pan
and the quarter sheet pan, but it wasn't showing up
well in the photos so I used a piece of baking
parchment paper for the photos.

6 Turn risen dough out onto lightly floured surface, flattening gently to break up any large bubbles. Press into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Fold in short ends of dough until piece is about 6 inches long. Roll from one rough edge, pinch seam to seal and roll gently to form a tight log the length of pan.

7 Place seam-side down in prepared pan and press dough into pan so that it reaches sides, ends and corners. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until about 1/2 to 1 inch from the top of the pan, about 60 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas5 for at least 20 minutes. 

8 When the dough has risen to about 1/2 to 1 inch from the top, remove the plastic wrap and slide the greased lid, or place the lid substitute, onto the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until golden brown, shrinking from the sides of the pan, and bottom of loaf sounds hollow if tapped. Remove immediately from pan and let cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Wrap well as soon as bread has cooled thoroughly. Store at room temperature.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees at no cost to you by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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Tahini Chicken Tea Sandwiches - New West KnifeWorks Review and Giveaway

This batch of Tahini Chicken Tea Sandwiches was made for a little casual afternoon tea, but it will be on the menu at my next proper afternoon tea party, along with Cucumber Sandwiches and Sliced Egg and Dill Sandwiches. 

But before I go on (and on) about tea sandwiches, I want all of you who are not into that sort of thing to know that this knife we’re giving away is not just for tea sandwiches, so don’t click away! 

The New West KnifeWorks G-Fusion Petty Utility Knife is probably the most versatile knife in my collection. For this recipe alone, I used it for butterflying chicken breasts; chopping onion, fennel and cooked chicken; and cutting sandwiches. 

And it does so much more. It’s big enough and the right shape to use as a small chef’s knife and small enough that some cooks even use it as a paring knife. The razor-thin blade makes it great for filleting, boning and trimming silverskin.

For nearly a year, it’s been my go-to knife for shallots, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, small fruits and vegetables, chopping or chiffonading herbs, supreming citrus, cutting and trimming raw meat and carving cooked meat. But back to the tea sandwiches …

I have wasted so much tahini over the years. Love that stuff! And I use a lot of it in my Hummus and Baba Ghanoush (pardon those pictures, by the way, I was just starting out!), but then there’s always some left over. 

What else can I do with it? Mr Delightful is not a fan of dips, so I wanted to use it in a way he would enjoy, too. He likes chicken salad sandwiches, so there you go.

He’s not fussy about his sandwiches being perfectly cut, but (and now I’m talking to my Tea People) tea sandwiches must look as good as they taste. They must be cut very cleanly; squished sandwiches and ragged edges are simply not the done thing. 

So tell me, what is your favorite tea sandwich? And be sure to go to the section below the recipe for details on this very generous giveaway. If you don’t happen to need a knife, you know someone who does; and this knife would make a great and generous gift.

Blade Length 5.5 inches, Overall Length 11 inches, Max Blade With 1.187 inches

Tahini Chicken Tea Sandwiches

(Makes 32)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
3/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons minced onion

1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup minced fennel or celery

1/2 cup unsalted tahini

2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
16 slices potato or buttermilk bread (or other soft, "wide" bread)
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, very soft

1 In dry skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove to 1.5-quart bowl to cool.

2 In same skillet, still hot, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken breasts and cook, loosely covered, over medium-low heat about 15 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Season each side of chicken with up to 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove to plate to cool.

Note: I used the New West KnifeWorks Petty to butterfly the chicken breasts, so they needed just 10 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool.

3 Add onion to skillet and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes, deglazing the pan with the onion juices, scraping up any brown bits. Add the onion and oil to bowl with sesame seeds.

4 Chop the cooled chicken and add it to the bowl. Stir in the carrots, fennel or celery, tahini and lemon juice. Add the curry powder and remaining salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and chill for at least an hour before assembling sandwiches.

5 Spread each slice of bread thinly with softened butter. Divide the chicken salad (about 1/4 cup each) among the 8 bottom bread slices. Top with remaining buttered bread slices. Trim off crusts and cut each sandwich into four fingers or rectangles, arranging on a plate in about three layers. 

6 Lay a good-quality un-dyed paper towel on top of the sandwiches. Wet and wring out well another paper towel; lay the damp paper towel on top of the dry paper towel. Never place the damp paper towel directly on top of the sandwiches or they will become soggy. Wrap rather snugly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several hours. This will make your sandwiches “hold together” and keep them from drying out. Remove from refrigerator and uncover sandwiches just before serving.

New West KnifeWorks Petty Knife Giveaway

I chose the all black knife, but it comes in 7 other beautiful and unique New West color combinations you must check out. The knife comes with a beautiful leather blade protector.

This giveaway is open to readers in the US* who are 18 years of age or older. To enter, leave a comment below (one entry per person). Tell me the first thing you'd make with the knife and/or which color you'd choose. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday February 13.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone you know in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter!

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday February 14. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday February 17, a new winner will be selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: New West KnifeWorks provided a knife for review purposes and one for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Jean

Pimento Cheese - Pimiento Cheese - A Southern Classic

Pimento Cheese (pimento is pronounced puh-MIN-uh, by the way wink wink) is an iconic Southern food that's been around for over a hundred years, but my Southern grandmother never mentioned it; I had to learn it on my own! There are many variations, but it's basically shredded sharp or medium Cheddar, mayonnaise and pimientos. 

Delicious on a hamburger, hot dog or bacon sandwich, it's more often just slapped on some soft white bread for a quick sandwich, cold or toasted. Apparently, you can also stuff celery with it, spread it on crackers or dip tortilla chips in it. But I only ever seem to serve it with crudités or in tea sandwiches.

It "must" be made with real mayonnaise. Many Southern cooks swear by Duke’s mayonnaise, but I have to make do with Hellmann’s/ Best Foods or my Homemade Mayonnaise. Duke's is still made in Greenville, South Carolina, and sold throughout the South. Sticklers for authenticity can always do mail order!

Purists may not add anything to the basic ingredients, but I can't resist a little dill pickle and dill pickle juice along with black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. You can add a few chopped green olives, red wine vinegar, Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce, so I might have to give that a try in the next batch. 

Some like it blended smooth, but I'm among those who prefer it a little chunky. Does your family have a pimento cheese tradition? Would you like to start one? I’d love to hear your thoughts on pimento cheese.

Pimento Cheese (Pimiento Cheese) 

(Makes 3 cups)

1 pound medium or sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 4-ounce jar pimientos, drained and diced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle

2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 In a 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients until well blended. Leave it a little chunky, as I do, or use an immersion blender to make it as smooth as you like. Transfer to serving bowl and cover. Chill for a few hours or up to one week.

2 Serve with a crudités platter, crackers, tortillas chips or bread. Spread on hamburgers, hot dogs or bacon sandwiches. Use it to make a cold or toasted cheese sandwich or, as I have here, tea sandwiches.

Jean

Egg and Dill Tea Sandwiches - New West KnifeWorks Review and Giveaway

Tea sandwiches must look as good as they taste. If you’re an afternoon tea aficionado, you know that tea sandwiches must be cut very cleanly; squished sandwiches and ragged edges are simply not the done thing.

As soon as I received the New West KnifeWorks Deli knife, the first thing I did was whip up a batch of Egg and Dill Tea Sandwiches to test the knife. It was fabulous, dahling! And a friend had an afternoon tea party coming up, so …

I took the knife over to her so she could try it out on the six dozen sandwiches she would be making. Knowing she has the dullest knives in town, I gave her the safety schpiel, reminding her that, though a sharp knife truly is a safer knife, it can do some serious damage if she gets distracted.

She called me midway through to rave about the knife! But it isn’t just for cutting tea sandwiches. You can use it for anything you’d use a utility knife for and anything you’d use a serrated knife for.

Of course, you can’t slice a big loaf of bread with a 5.5-inch blade, but you can slice baguettes and bagels. And Toasted Teacakes! You can make paper-thin slices of tomato and cucumber and cut all kinds of fruits and vegetables. You could even carve a Small Roast Beef. 

See the giveaway below, which is open to readers everywhere. But first, check out one of my most-requested tea sandwiches. What is your fave?

Egg and Dill Tea Sandwiches

(Makes 24)

5 large eggs, cold
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
12 slices dill rye bread (1-pound loaf), bottom slices buttered with soft unsalted butter and top slices spread with mayo

1 Place eggs in a single layer in pan. Add enough room temperature water to cover eggs completely and an inch over. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as water is bubbling lightly, remove pan from the heat and cover tightly with the lid. Let stand for 14 minutes. Drain and add cold water to pan; repeat twice. Leave eggs to cool for 15 minutes in cold water. Drain, and proceed with recipe or refrigerate until ready to use.

2 In a 1-quart bowl, finely chop the hard-cooked eggs. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper and dill. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide egg mixture among the lightly buttered “bottom” bread slices; spread evenly, skipping the edges and round part at the top because they are going to be cut away.

3 Put lightly mayo’d “top” bread slices in place. Trim off crusts and cut each sandwich into 4, arranging on a plate in about 3 layers.

4 Lay a high-quality white paper towel on top of the sandwiches. Wet and wring out well another paper towel; lay the damp paper towel on top of the dry paper towel. (Placing the damp paper towel directly on top of the sandwiches would result in soggy sandwiches.) Wrap snugly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several hours. This makes the sandwiches “hold together” and keeps them from drying out. Uncover sandwiches just before serving.

New West KnifeWorks Knife Giveaway

I chose the all black knife, but it comes in 7 other beautiful and unique New West color combinations you must check out. The knife comes with a beautiful leather blade protector.

This giveaway is open to readers everywhere who are 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person). Tell me the first thing you'd make with the knife and/or which color you'd choose. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday May 2.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday May 3. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday May 6, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: New West KnifeWorks provided a knife for review purposes and one for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Jean

Faux Tuna Salad

I really like a good tuna salad sandwich, but the kind of tuna I like, the solid white albacore, has even more mercury (nearly three times as much, I recently read) than the light tuna from the smaller skipjack. And sometimes I just like to eat vegetarian. So I started looking through the pantry to see if it would spark an idea for a substitute.

First thing I spotted was a can of organic garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), and I thought, hmm … chopped up and mixed with my favorite tuna salad ingredients … And, of course, it would make a delightful tea sandwich, especially when there’s a vegetarian on the afternoon tea party guest list.

Then I decided to google it. And shoooot! It’s already a “thing.” Anyway … I don’t mind. If something’s a good idea, it’s a good idea, even if somebody else already had it! And, no, it does not “taste just like tuna salad.” Similar, due to the other ingredients, but it’s not going to fool anyone. It tastes good, and that’s what counts.

But if, like Mr Delightful, you insist on the real, not faux, thing, here’s Tuna Salad. What do you think - are you ready for faux tuna salad? This sandwich was made with my Sourdough Sandwich Bread we always have on hand.

Faux Tuna Salad

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced sweet pickle
2 teaspoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped lemon (juice is a bit too liquid for the salad)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian or vegan)
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegan substitute
2 teaspoons country Dijon mustard

1 Turn your rinsed and drained garbanzo beans out onto a cutting board and chop them coarsely with a large knife. You’ll notice the skins coming off the beans. You don’t have to, of course, but I found myself unable to resist pulling the large pieces of skin out of the pile and discarding them. And I like to put a half cup or so of the beans into a small mixing bowl and mash them up before adding the chopped ones.

Note: How finely you need to chop the garbanzos and vegetables depends on whether you are making regular sandwiches or tea sandwiches.

2 Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.

Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwiches

Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwiches popped into my head this week, mainly because I wanted an excuse to use my new tea set. Our dear friends in New Mexico came for a visit and brought me their Old Country Roses tea set, something they no longer use, having gone over to the dark side, coffee!

Like me, these friends run a tight ship - and do a far better job of it than I! They don't like to have unused things cluttering up their cupboards or garage. So Julia asked me before they left home if I'd like to have the set. But of course, darling! But it meant making a place for it by getting rid of at least as many pieces.

Several days before they arrived I boxed up the teapot and other items to be donated and said goodbye to them. They were all things I liked, but not as much as I was going to like the Old Country Roses tea set and thinking of our friends every time we use it.

I don't have the time or energy just now for a tea party, so I just made some sandwiches and tea and pulled some Bakewell Tart Traybake squares from the freezer. Didn't make Scones, which is a shame since I also have a jar of my homemade Clotted Cream in the freezer.

Many recipes for Coronation Chicken call for Major Grey's chutney, but I don't always have that product on hand. Certainly didn't want to buy a jar (and have most of it go to waste!) just for a small batch of Coronation Chicken. So I just used some of the chutney ingredients in my recipe.

Are you a Coronation Chicken fan? When it's made with chutney, it's much too sweet for my taste. But made my way, I really like it. What is your favorite tea sandwich?

Update 05/30/18: I just discovered Fallue - The Traditional Norman Brioche, which is the perfect bread for these sandwiches!

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Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwiches

1/4 cup sliced (flaked) or slivered almonds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (454 grams) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped dried mango or apricot
2 tablespoons dried currants
3/4 to 1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon apricot preserves, optional (for those who want to add a bit more sweetness) 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
16 slices buttermilk bread (or other soft, "wide" bread)
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, very soft

1 In dry skillet, toast the almonds over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove to bowl to cool.

2 In same skillet, still hot, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken breasts and cook, loosely covered, over medium-low heat about 15 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Season each side of chicken with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove to plate to cool.

3 Add onion to skillet and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in dried fruits, curry powder, dry mustard, red wine vinegar and apricot preserves; cook over low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove to bowl to cool.

4 Chop the cooled toasted almonds and put in a 1.5-quart bowl. Chop the cooled chicken and add it to the bowl. Stir in the onion-dried fruit mixture. Stir in the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and chill for at least an hour before assembling sandwiches.

5 Spread each slice of bread thinly with softened butter. Divide the chicken salad (about 1/4 cup each) among the 8 bottom bread slices. Top with remaining buttered bread slices. Trim off crusts and cut each sandwich into four fingers or triangles, arranging on a plate in about three layers.

6 Lay a good-quality un-dyed paper towel on top of the sandwiches. Wet and wring out well another paper towel; lay the damp paper towel on top of the dry paper towel. Never place the damp paper towel directly on top of the sandwiches or they will become soggy. Wrap rather snugly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several hours. This will make your sandwiches “hold together” and keep them from drying out. Remove from refrigerator and uncover sandwiches just before serving.

Jean

Tomato Tea Sandwiches - and Wusthof Classic Serrated Utility Knife Review and Giveaway

Tomato sandwiches are one of the highlights of summer for me. Tomatoes, vine-ripened on an organic farm or backyard garden, on homemade white bread. With nothing but a bit of mayonnaise, salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Yes, I love whole grain bread and sourdough, but their flavors might be too strong for what I call my Purist's Tomato Sandwich. 

But today I was in the mood for tea sandwiches. Let's face it, when am I not in the mood for tea sandwiches! That calls for softened unsalted butter spread lightly on thin white bread, followed by a thin layer of mayonnaise. Whatever else might go into them--in this case, fresh basil and thinly sliced avocado--the tomatoes must be sliced paper thin.

As you know, that can be a bit of a problem. But I have the answer. The WÜSTHOF Classic 5-Inch Serrated Utility Knife - 4110 /14 cm. WÜSTHOF, being a German company, calls it a sausage knife in Germany. And it is perfect for slicing sausages, but since I don't slice a lot of sausages I prefer the other name.

I first heard of utility knives in one of those "pro chef names his five favorite kitchen tools" articles. At first I thought, I don't need one of those since I have great chef knives, paring knife, bread knife. Then I remembered all those times I was doing a cutting job too big for a paring knife and too small for even my smallest chef knife and so just grabbed an entirely inadequate steak knife.

So I was thrilled when WÜSTHOF sent me the serrated utility knife for review. Just in time for Tomato Season. And it is the perfect knife for cutting tea sandwiches. Tea sandwiches must be cut very cleanly; ragged edges are simply not the done thing. A knife this sharp makes quick work of cutting the dozens of sandwiches needed for an afternoon tea party.

Like all WÜSTHOF Classic knives, it has an extremely sharp blade with exceptionally long edge retention. And the handle just feels "right" in my hand. This knife is going to get a lot of use in my kitchen and out--it is my new, best ever, picnic knife! 

And they're going to send one to one of you! See entry details below. Please leave a comment for me about tea sandwiches, knives or whatever this post brought to mind.

Update 05/19/16: The giveaway is now closed; winner announced in comment section.

Update 12/07/16: For how to throw an afternoon tea party and a roundup of afternoon tea recipes, see Afternoon Tea Party Tips.

Tomato Tea Sandwiches 

White bread, thinly sliced
Softened unsalted butter
Mayonnaise
Salt
Coarsely ground pepper
Perfectly ripe tomatoes, very thinly sliced
Optional: Fresh basil leaves, peeled and very thinly sliced avocado, shredded cheese, crumbled crisp bacon

1 Cut tomatoes in half vertically. Unless they are quite small, you might want to cut each half in half vertically again. With a very sharp knife (I use the Wusthof Classic 5-Inch Utility Knife), slice the tomatoes horizontally as thinly as possible. Lay the slices on a layer of paper towels or an impeccably clean kitchen towel to prevent having soggy sandwiches. 

2 Spread a very thin layer of very soft butter (never margarine) on each slice of bread, and then spread on a very thin layer of mayonnaise. Place a single layer of tomato on each of the bottom bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices. Trim off crusts and cut each sandwich into fingers or triangles, arranging on a plate in about three layers. 

3 Lay a good-quality white paper towel on top of the sandwiches. Wet and wring out well another paper towel; lay the damp paper towel on top of the dry paper towel. Never place the damp paper towel directly on top of the sandwiches or they will become soggy. Wrap rather snugly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several hours. This will make your sandwiches “hold together” and keep them from drying out. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator. Uncover sandwiches just before serving.

WÜSTHOF Giveaway

One winner will receive a WÜSTHOF Classic 5-Inch Serrated Utility Knife 4110/14cm from WÜSTHOF. All US residents (Sorry, international friends!) who leave a comment about knives (one entry per person - and please include your email address in the body of your comment) on this post before 11:59 pm Eastern time Wednesday May 18 will be put into a random drawing. Winner will be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday May 26. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by 11:59 am Eastern time Sunday May 29, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Buy It Now WÜSTHOF knives, including the Wusthof Classic 5-Inch Serrated Utility Knife, are available on Amazon.

Disclosure: WÜSTHOF provided a knife for review purposes and for the giveaway. I received no compensation. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Cucumber Sandwiches - Afternoon Tea Sandwiches

A plate of cucumber sandwiches has been the quintessential component of afternoon tea menus since Victorian times. One simply cannot have an afternoon tea from late spring to early autumn without them. 

Planning the menu for my first outdoor tea party of spring and summer, to be held in the gazebo in the garden, set off a craving for cucumber sandwiches.

While I very much enjoy the typical cucumber sandwiches I'm served at most afternoon teas, I've never had one I like quite as much as my own. 

I do something a little different that makes my sandwiches especially good. A sandwich made with plain sliced cucumber can be quite bland, so I give my cucumber slices a 10-minute bath in a little wine vinegar seasoned with salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Whenever I make these, cutting very thin slices of cucumber and peeled tomato, I think of a line from the wonderful old Britcom To the Manor Born:

"She serves cucumber sandwiches you don't even have to open your mouth for." ~ Mrs. "Poo" describing Audrey fforbes-Hamilton to her son Richard DeVere 

The 10 minutes is just long enough to infuse a little flavor into the slices without turning them into pickles or making them go limp. Very thinly sliced tomato is a nice addition when tomatoes are in season. 

Whatever else you might be tempted to add to my recipe, let it not be garlic. Garlic has no place in a tea sandwich. And mint, though it sounds like a perfectly fine idea, is more often than not overdone. Cream cheese? Love it, but no, not on this sandwich. 

For afternoon tea, I like to serve three sandwiches or savories, so might add Sliced Egg and Dill Tea Sandwiches and Sausage Pinwheels to the menu, along with Classic Scones, Clotted Cream, Strawberry Jam and assorted treats you'll find under Teatime on my Recipes index page.

Of course, the most important thing is knowing How to Make a Proper Cup of Tea!

Update 12/07/16: For how to throw an afternoon tea party and a roundup of afternoon tea recipes, see Afternoon Tea Party Tips.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches 

(Makes 32) 

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
64 very thin slices of English cucumber
Optional: peeled and very thinly sliced tomato
16 wide* slices good white bread
About 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
About 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 In 1-quart bowl, stir together vinegar, salt and pepper until salt is dissolved. Add cucumber slices; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain cucumber slices and pat them dry. (There is no need to peel a thin-skinned English, or hothouse, cucumber that is going to be very thinly sliced.) 

2 Spread a very thin layer of very soft butter (never margarine) on each slice of bread, and then spread on a very thin layer of mayonnaise. Place 8 cucumber slices (2 rows of 3, then 2 to fill the voids) on each of 8 bottom bread slices. If using tomato, add a thin layer of peeled and very thinly sliced tomato. Top with remaining bread slices. Trim off crusts and cut each sandwich into quarters (fingers or triangles), arranging on a plate in about three layers. 

3 Lay a good-quality white paper towel on top of the sandwiches. Wet and wring out well another paper towel; lay the damp paper towel on top of the dry paper towel. Never place the damp paper towel directly on top of the sandwiches or they will become soggy. Wrap rather snugly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several hours. This will make your sandwiches “hold together” and keep them from drying out. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator. Uncover sandwiches just before serving.

*Such as Oroweat/Brownberry/Arnold country buttermilk bread that comes in the wider 1 1/2-pound loaves. If you use smaller bread slices (as I do when I have my homemade Classic White Sandwich Bread on hand), you’ll make more full-sized sandwiches to come up with the same quantity of tea sandwiches.