Traditional English tea sandwiches

These simple, classic tea sandwiches are perfect for entertaining, afternoon tea or any excuse.

📝 Ingredients

• 1/8 English cucumber (approx (1/8 being around 2in/5cm piece))
• 2 slices white sandwich bread
• 1/2 tbsp butter (approx)
• 2 slices whole wheat sandwich bread (or eg rye, granary)
• 1 tbsp cream cheese (approx)
• 1 oz smoked salmon (approx (1 oz is around 2 - 3 slices))
• 2 slices white sandwich bread (or other kind, to taste)
• 2 slices roast beef (or more depending on size)
• 1 tsp mustard (eg wholegrain or Dijon)
• 1 tsp butter (approx)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- For cucumber sandwich ---
2. 2Peel the skin from the piece of cucumber and slice as thinly as possible. A mandolin or wide vegetable peeler is most effective for this. It's often safest to simply peel a section from the cucumber then slice it while still attached to the rest of the cucumber so that you have something to hold while slicing (and keep fingers safe!)
3. 3Put a thin layer of butter on both slices of bread then arrange a layer or two of cucumber over one slice. Try to make the cucumber layer as even as possible and right to the edges.
4. 4Top with the other slice of bread, trim off the crusts keeping the edges parallel as you do so. Cut into either 3 - 4 thin fingers or four triangles.
5. 5--- For smoked salmon sandwich ---
6. 6Spread both slices of bread with a thin, even layer of cream cheese. Top one of them with a slices of smoked salmon in an even layer, going close to the edge.
7. 7Top with the other slice of bread, trim off the crusts keeping the edges parallel as you do so. Cut into either 3 - 4 thin fingers or four triangles.
8. 8--- For roast beef sandwich ---
9. 9Spread one slice of bread with butter and the other with a thin layer of mustard (if you like, you can also butter it underneath as well).
10. 10Make a layer of roast beef on top of one of the slices of bread, going right to the edges and without gaps.
11. 11Top with the other slice of bread, trim off the crusts keeping the edges parallel as you do so. Cut into either 3 - 4 thin fingers or four triangles.