TEA SANDWICH RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 round 20cm sandwich tins.
  2. Cube up the butter, then cream together with the sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Beat the eggs, then gradually mix into the creamed butter and sugar. Sift, then fold in the flour, baking powder and ¼ of a teaspoon of sea salt with a large metal spoon until just incorporated (don’t overmix).
  4. Stir in 1 splash of milk to loosen the batter, then evenly divide it between the 2 cake tins.
  5. Bake the cakes in the oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. To test, insert a skewer into the middle of a cake; it’s ready when the skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Once completely cool, pour the cream into a large bowl, scrape in the vanilla seeds and whisk until you have soft peaks.
  7. Sift in icing sugar and gently fold through. Place one of the cakes on your chosen plate or cake stand and spread over the vanilla cream, but not right to the edges or it will spill later.
  8. Hull and roughly slice the strawberries, then scatter on top of the second cake. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with extra strawberries, if you like.

Steps:

• For the goat's cheese, walnut & roasted pepper sandwiches, mix together 200g soft goat’s cheese with 100g cream cheese. Spread most of the mixture over 5 slices white bread. Slice 2 roasted red peppers into strips, divide between the bread, then top each with another slice white bread. Trim the crusts, then cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Whizz 25g walnuts until fine. Spread 1 edge of each sandwich with the remaining cheese mix, then dip into the chopped walnuts.
• For the lemony cucumber & prawn sandwiches, lightly spread 6 slices wholemeal bread with butter. Cover with a layer of thinly sliced cucumber, then use a 5-6cm round cutter to stamp out 12 circles. Mix together 4 tbsp mayonnaise with zest 1 lemon. Top each circle with 1 halved large cooked prawn and a dollop of the lemony mayonnaise.
• For the creamy egg & cress sandwiches, boil 4 eggs for 8 mins. Cool the eggs, peel, mash, then mix with 2 chopped spring onions and 2-3 tbsp crème fraîche. Season, then spread over 12 small rolls. Add a little cress, pop on the lids and serve.