Tea Sandwich Biscuits are miniature versions of a plump, flaky, buttery biscuit to make delicate looking tea sandwiches.
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? The tea biscuits are easy to make and provide a sturdy texture to layer almost anything inside.
A tea sandwich biscuit doesn’t have to be made with savory ingredients, after all where would the British be without their morning Marmalade, spread on a buttery biscuit.
What Is An American Biscuit
In America and Canada, 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. This texture that lends itself to spread things on, like a Homemade Marmalade, 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.
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.
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 always saw other folks making biscuits with vegetable shortening, 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 breads and 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.
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 also look lovely in the smaller cut biscuit.
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
In my video you will see that I have used the traditional butter, watercress, radish, and cucumber filling.
I have also made a different batch of sandwiches with mustard, smoked salmon, cucumber, and dill. The sky is the limit!
Don’t forget a favorite American sandwich for both adults and kids; nut-butter and jam sandwiches!
I love to make my own nut butter and jam, so I can adjust the flavors for those I will be serving it to.
These would make a great ‘in a hurry’ breakfast for the kids, or after school snack.
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 (optional)
- Oven
Tea Sandwich Biscuits
Ingredients
- Flour – 2 cups
- Baking powder – 2 tbsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Butter – 5 tbsp
- Whole milk – 1 cup, plus extra to brush tops before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Place flour, baking powder, salt, and butter into a food processor and give it a whirl until the ingredients are well incorporated. While machine is running, slowly pour a steady stream of milk. The dough will come together quickly into a ball. If dough feels sticky, add a sprinkle of flour, if dry, add a splash of milk.
- On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to about ¾ of an inch. Use a small biscuit cutter to cut out the size you want.
- Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush just a little milk across the tops, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a golden color begins to form.
- Your biscuits are now ready for filling.
Video
Nutrition
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.
You make my heart sing I love them
So Sweet!! Thanks 🙂
Wonderful for tea. I did giggle when I saw the butter!! I immediately thought of my Mother in Law who was from Manchester and would have loved these <3
Thank you Diane! Such a lovely memory.
These look great! As a Brit, I understand the belief in needing butter, though I am one of the few who never really liked it unless very thin. So with you on using other things!
So glad to hear your perspective on the ever loving butter! Hubby likes butter on everything. I grew up an olive oil gal! Are you living in England? I am near DC with all the crazies over here!
Love it.