We definitely have enough recipes here to fill a second and third tier of an afternoon tea, but I do recognize that there is a…um…severe lack of first tier fillers? The dot dot dots and question mark are my writing way of giving you all a sheepish, almost embarrassed look. Whhhaaaaattttt? Yes, I’m sorry, but I love baking so much and am way more likely to recipe work mid-morning (when it’s too early for lunch and therefore tea sandwiches) or mid-afternoon (when I’ve already eaten lunch and therefore want dessert over tea sandwiches). So I blame the clock for the lack of savory tier recipes. You aren’t buying that excuse are you? Sigh. I tried.

Guess I just need to give you a tea sandwich recipe I’ve had in my back pocket for a little while now.

The savory tier of a tea really can make or break an afternoon tea experience. So many of my reviews have a standout savory item–sometimes standout because it’s terrible or boring, and sometimes standout because it is one of the best things I have ever tasted! My favorite sandwiches are the ones that take ingredients I am expecting (like cucumber and cream cheese) and twist it with something unexpected (pickling the cucumbers? Brilliant!). This sandwich may look like your simple, basic ham and cheese finger sandwich, but I have a trick up my sleeve to give it that little extra. Mayonnaise? Gone! Tart cherry preserves? IN!

This tea sandwich, as you can guess from the pictures, came about as part of one of my princess tea menus I’ve been working on. Yep, one of our princesses is going to be Cinderella! We are designing her tea so that each course moves you through a stage in her story; the first tier, savory, is all about her time as the poor maid at the mercy of her evil stepfamily. But through it all, Cinderella had her friends the mice and farm animals. Ingredient symbolism in this one:

• Ham: Every farm has pigs
• Swiss: Mice love cheese!
• Brown bread: In Cinderella’s time only the very wealthy ate refined white bread while the peasants ate the (I think more delicious) brown bread.

But this tea sandwich really can be a tasty addition to any afternoon tea, so I won’t keep this one a secret anymore!

ham and swiss tea sandwich

ingredients

• deli cut ham (I used honey ham because…I like it)
• swiss cheese slices
• tart or sweet cherry preserves like Bonne Maman
• your favorite brown bread, like pumpernickel or molasses bread

directions

Spread a thin layer of cherry preserves on one slice of bread. Top with two slices of ham and two slices of cheese. Top with second slice of bread. Remove crusts and cut sandwiches into rectangles or triangles.

Yes, tea sandwiches are that easy. Serve immediately