Afternoon tea refreshes the upstairs dwellers of Downton Abbey after a hard day's leisure. Violet, the Dowager Duchess, her daughter-in-law, Countess Cora, and the ladies Mary, Edith, and Sybil, along with the Earl and the heir apparent Matthew (and his mother) would enjoy tea, sandwiches, and sweets, between luncheon and dinner. 

To create your own afternoon tea at it's most simple, you need only tea, one savoury and one sweet. But for a special occasion try  several sandwiches and an assortment of sweets and baked goods. 

Never underestimate the simple, delicate, deliciousness of simple bread and butter sandwiches. Beyond that you can always co-opt quotidian kids' egg or tuna salad or even peanut butter and jelly. 

To emulate the inmates of Downton Abbey you'll have to go further than that. But relax, even at their most complicated tea sandwiches are still just sandwiches. 

Tea Sandwiches 101

Using white or brown sliced sandwich bread, pile six or eight slices high and saw off the four sides of crust.

Start with a base using spreadable cream cheese.

1) Add slices of cucumber, sprinkled with salt and pepper and a dash of dill.

2) Or sliced eggs dashed with paprika.

3) Or sliced smoked salmon. Use brown bread.

4) Or your favourite jam or preserves.

5) Or add to the cream cheese stemmed, chopped watercress.

6) Or chopped grilled yellow and red peppers.

7) Or drained and well chopped pitted black olives.

8) Or chopped dried apricots and sliced almonds.

Spread gently on the bread. Don't over fill. 

Cover with a second slice of bread.

Cut into triangles or three “fingers".

You can also serve the sandwiches opened faced. This looks pretty with cucumber, sliced egg or salmon. 

 

Basic Chicken Tea Sandwiches 

Use chopped, prepared poached or roasted chicken or turkey. Leftovers are fine. Remember you are making small dainty sandwiches not Dagwoods. 

Add mayo and mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.

 

Some Tasty Additions:

1) Chopped and drained grapes

2) 1 teaspoon curry powder

3) Chopped walnuts or almonds

4) Chutney

 

Put sandwiches on a pretty plate and serve.

What to do with all those bread crusts you've cut off? Send them Downstairs for High Tea at Downton Two. See my next post.