American Tea Sandwich Biscuits are miniature versions of a plump, flaky, buttery American biscuit recipe, to make finger sandwiches for a tea party.
Tea Sandwiches
Tea Sandwiches can be made out of anything you like on a sandwich, but the bread… the bread must be irresistible!
Don’t you just love the elegance of tiny, dainty, delicious tea sandwiches that make us feel as though we are having high tea with lots of dainty bites!
The tea biscuits are easy to make and provide a sturdy base for making simple sandwiches.
Perfect for a large bridal shower or a small gathering for an intimate tea time, and way better than simply using slices of bread.
A tea sandwich biscuit doesn’t have to be made for savory ingredients, the same biscuit recipe is also perfect for sandwich cookies, or breakfast biscuits.
After all, where would the British be without their morning Marmalade, spread on a buttery biscuit.
What Is An American Biscuit
In Canada and the United States, a biscuit is a flour-based bread, leavened with baking soda, instead of yeast and is considered a ‘quick-bread’!
The texture of a biscuit is often a firm exterior with a soft, crumbly interior, a texture that lends itself to spread things on, like Onion Jam or Hummus, and perfect for dunking in a soup, stew or chili.
For this reason, I will often bake my biscuit recipe on top of a stew, as a Pot Pie, to cover it and present it with a pastry-like topping.
Yet these biscuits are dainty enough to make cucumber tea sandwiches.
Also, there is no waste, as there is when making crustless teas sandwiches, removing the crust from bread slices, which often get tossed into the trash.
What Is A British Biscuit
In the UK, biscuits are totally another story. Having married a Brit, I realized we often spoke different languages!
He speaks British while I speak American, and while both are English, we often have no idea what the other is talking about. LOL!
A biscuit in the UK is actually (to us Americans), a cookie! Any variety of cookies that are made with flour, sugar, some type of fat and a leavening agent, usually baking soda.
The most common biscuit (cookie), is the shortbread cookie, made with lots of butter and perfect for afternoon tea.
What Is A British Tea Sandwich
When I think of a British tea sandwich, which hubby loves, it is first and foremost cucumber sandwiches!
Spread onto a slice of bread is a thin layer of butter, very thin slices of cucumber, English cucumbers of course, a pinch of salt and another piece of bread on top.
Then, to make these pretty little bites into crustless tea sandwiches, the crusts are cut off and the sandwich is cut into dainty bitesize tea sandwiches.
Oh, and don’t forget a cup of tea, loose leaf tea preferably!
American Tea Biscuits and Butter
My British hubby tells me that a sandwich is not a sandwich without butter, and so while I will put butter on a few of these charming sandwiches, I like other things on my tea sandwich as well.
When I was growing up, it seems I often saw other folks making biscuits with vegetable shortening (lard), my mom included.
Once I was grown and with a kitchen of my own, I found that using butter instead of vegetable fats made for a moist texture and certainly a better flavor.
I often make my breads, even pie crusts with olive oil, so I suppose I should try making biscuits with olive oil. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Homemade Tea Sandwich Biscuits
Homemade biscuits are fast and easy to make, and always look spectacular as a quaint little bite-size sandwiches.
While my mother always made her biscuits by hand, pressing the ingredients together with a fork, I find a food processor whips the dough together in a matter of minutes.
I found that the editors of Southern Living magazine had lots to say about tea sandwiches, however only one of the tea sandwiches they featured using a biscuit instead of sliced bread was called a Funeral Sandwich!
Hah! Maybe because it was layered with ham? I’ll have to ask the editor!
Oh, and while southern ladies speak as a relentless champion of the southern way of life, let’s not forget that these sandwiches, served at tea parties, were first British!
Sizing The Biscuits
Deciding on the size to cut the biscuits often depends on what you will be putting inside of them. The idea is to have some sort of uniformity to keep the sandwiches looking dainty.
Often I use a two-inch round biscuit press. The size seems to suit the diameter of a cucumber or radish.
Small scoops of egg salad make lovely egg salad tea sandwiches, perhaps because the biscuit offers more substance to a mayonnaise mixture.
Once the biscuits are baked, filling is sliced or prepared, the rest is simply a matter of assembling the little sandwiches with a schmear of butter and a garnish of a fresh herb or micro green.
If your cutting skills are good and thin slices of vegetables are easy for you, by all means slice away. As for me, I use an inexpensive mandolin cutter.
What To Put In A Tea Sandwich
The first thing to remember about tea sandwiches is they were first created with simple ingredients.
In my video you will see that I have used the traditional butter, watercress, radish, and cucumber as the filling.
I have also made a different batch of sandwiches with mustard, smoked salmon, cucumber slices, and dill. The sky is the limit!
Once ingredients are chosen; a tomato slice just big enough to fit the biscuit, a small scoop of ham salad, perhaps a few thin slices of leftover roast beef, even a simple herby cream cheese, assembly goes fast.
Let’s not forget a favorite the all American sandwich for both adults and kids; nut-butter and jam sandwiches!
A few sweet biscuits would be lovely too, so simply turn the biscuit recipe into a blueberry scone with an added measure of sugar!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Whole milk
Equipment Needed
- Food processor
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Rolling pin
- 2-inch biscuit cutter
- Basting brush
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Mandolin – for slicing vegetables
- Oven
American Tea Sandwich Biscuits
Equipment
- 2-inch round biscuit cutter
- Baking sheet pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 5 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 1 cup Whole milk extra for brushing on tops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- In a large bowl or food processor, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and butter until crumbly and well incorporated.
- Slowly incorporate the milk to form a soft, pliable dough ball. The dough will come together quickly into a ball. If dough feels sticky, add a sprinkle of flour, if dry, add a splash of cold water.
- On a floured work surface, roll dough out to about ¾ of an inch. Use a small round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, to cut out uniform small bites.
- Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush just a little milk across the tops, place in the oven of high heat and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a golden color.
- Remove and place on a wire rack. Biscuits are now ready to make into small sandwiches of your personal style. Simply slice the biscuit open with a serrated knife and the biscuits hold together beautifully.
Video
Notes
- If not baking until a later time, place plastic wrap around the cut biscuits and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Once baked, store any extras in a airtight container in the fridge.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.