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Cucumber tea sandwiches in various stages of assembly

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Toronto tearoom Kitten and the Bear shares their recipe for classic cucumber tea sandwiches with a creamy spinach spread.
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Course Afternoon Tea, Snack
Servings 10 sandwiches

Ingredients
  

Spinach Spread

  • 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup (30 g) roughly chopped baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

Tea Sandwiches

  • 10 slices brioche bread 1 loaf
  • 1 large English cucumber
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened, more to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and use a rubber spatula to break down and soften the texture. Add the spinach, parsley and dill and gently fold into the cream cheese until uniformly combined.
  • Transfer the spread into a metal strainer set over a medium bowl (the spinach may weep liquid), cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge until ready to use.
  • Stack 2 to 4 slices of bread on top of each other. Using a sharp serrated bread knife with a gentle sawing motion, cut off the crusts. Let the knife do the work and resist the urge to push down on the knife which will lead to pinched edges. Then, cut the stack of bread in half vertically. Continue cutting the pieces of bread, keeping the original stacks to ensure the tops and bottoms of your sandwiches match up perfectly.
  • Cut both ends off the cucumber. Slice the cucumber into 3 to 4 equal lengths, about 3 inches long. Then, using a mandoline (⅓ to ¼-inch setting) or a sharp kitchen knife, thinly slice the cucumber pieces lengthwise into rectangles. You’ll need at least 10 cucumber slices, one for each sandwich. (Use the best, largest centre slices.) Place the cucumber slices between 3 or 4 layers of paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
  • Arrange the slices of bread on a large work surface. Keep the tops and bottoms of the bread paired up exactly as you cut them. Spread a thin layer of butter on the top halves. Spread a thick layer of herb spread on the bottom halves, top with a slice of cucumber and then close the sandwiches. Tie with a little piece of twine or strip of parchment paper.