Starving by 3:30
“There are few hours in life
more agreeable than the hour
dedicated to the ceremony
known as afternoon tea.“
Henry James
Back in 7th grade, my Language Arts teacher taught us how to have a proper English Tea… and ever since then, I’ve been a little more than obsessed with Great Britain and their Tea Traditions. Back then, Mrs. Cranford sat out several types of tea, like English Breakfast, along with lemon, sugar cubes, milk and brown sugar. I mixed my tea with brown sugar and lemon at the age of 12, and I’d been drinking it that way ever since. But recently I’ve decided to be a little more British and throw in milk instead of lemon and sugar cubes instead of brown sugar… it’s just as good, if not better.
But which is the proper “English” way? According to England’s Portal and Ask Andy About Clothes, the most traditional way is with sugar cubes and milk (if you prefer). And those, like me, who enjoy a lemon squeeze here and there, are considered pretentious. Oops.
Afternoon Tea, not to be confused with High Tea, was started in 1840 by Anna, the seventh duchess of Bedford, because, like the rest of us, she got hungry before dinner. Who isn’t starving and half asleep by the time 3:30 hits? At that time of day, all you want is some serious caffeine and maybe a small sugar buzz. Yes, you can take care of that with a humungous, sugar-filled, whipped-cream-topped, caramel-chocolate coffee-ish drink. But wouldn’t it be more satisfying to sip a hot cup of tea and nibble on something substantial?
Oh, but what to make… what to make? Over at The Joy of Baking, they have an entire menu dedicated to the English Tea Party. They even have some new tea treats like Chocolate Hazelnut Torte & Shortbread Tarts with Cream Filling. And as yummy as those new treats are, I still prefer the traditional go-to recipes: scones with lemon curd or Devonshire Cream, and cucumber mint sandwiches.
Now all I can think about are all those yummy tea treats. I bet you’re thinking about them, too. We should make them for lunch!
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CUCUMBER MINT SANDWICHES
- 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/4 cup butter, soft
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 16 slices white bread
Blot cucumber slices to dry them off. In a mixing bowl, blend mint, butter and cream cheese. Spread mixture on each slice of bread. Lay cucumber slices on 8 slices of bread and sprinkle with salt. Top with remaining bread and remove crusts. Cut sandwiches into either halves or quarters (diagonally).
