Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Another classic English favorite, these are usually served with watercress tea sandwiches. Take a tip from my old catering days and garnish the tray with radish rosebuds and bunches of parsley!

Makes: 16 sandwiches

Preparation Time: 5 min

Ingredients

• 16 slices white bread
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard (optional)
• 1/2 of a medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 16 thin slices

Instructions

1. Using a 2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut two bread rounds from the center of each slice of bread; discard the remaining scraps.
    
2. In a medium bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, beat the heavy cream, Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and mustard (if desired) for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well blended.
    
3. Spread evenly over eight bread rounds. Place a cucumber slice over the cheese mixture on each and top with the remaining bread rounds.
    
4. Serve, or keep chilled until ready to serve.

Notes

These sandwiches can also be cut into squares by cutting the crusts off the bread, then cutting each slice into 4 squares - but you'll need more cucumber slices. The round shape is nice because it's the same size as the cucumbers.