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Cucumber Sandwich Recipe: How to Make Cucumber Sandwiches

Name: Cucumber Sandwich Recipe: How to Make Cucumber Sandwiches
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 32 sandwiches
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: 1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced; 16 thin slices of bread, preferably soft white sandwich bread; 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature; Fine sea salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional); Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Mar 25, 2023 • 1 min read

Learn how to make perfect, easy cucumber sandwiches as an appetizer for your next tea party or brunch.

Learn From the Best

What Are Cucumber Sandwiches?

Cucumber sandwiches are finger sandwiches made with thin cucumber slices, moist white bread, and butter. Traditionally served with British afternoon tea, these delicate little tea sandwiches should be thin, crustless, and moist, but there are a few different ways to customize them.

3 Variations on Cucumber Sandwiches

There are a few popular ways to personalize regular cucumber sandwiches.

1. Herbed cream cheese: Instead of butter, try slathering your cucumber tea sandwiches with a mixture of cream cheese and tender herbs like fresh dill or chives. Spread the cream cheese mixture carefully so as not to tear the bread.
2. Compound butter: If you want to add the flavor of fresh herbs to your cucumber finger sandwiches but prefer butter to cream cheese, make a compound butter. In a small bowl, whisk softened butter with finely chopped fresh herbs.
3. Mayonnaise: Some cooks swear by mayonnaise rather than butter or cream cheese spread to moisten their cucumber sandwiches. You can also make herbed mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise.

Simple Cucumber Sandwich Recipe

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makes

32 sandwiches

prep time

40 min

total time

40 min

Ingredients

1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
16 thin slices of bread, preferably soft white sandwich bread
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

1
Arrange the cucumber slices on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and sprinkle the slices with sea salt. Let them sit at room temperature until the cucumber slices have released some of their moisture, about 15–20 minutes.
2
Pat the cucumber slices dry with another clean kitchen towel or paper towel and season them lightly with black pepper and lemon juice if desired.
3
Spread a generous amount of butter on half of the bread slices, covering the entire slice all the way to the crust.
4
Cover the bread with an even, cascading layer of cucumber slices—they should look like fish scales.
5
Butter the remaining bread slices with the remaining butter and place the bread on top of the cucumber slices.
6
Using a sharp knife, remove the crusts and cut each sandwich into fingers (rectangles) or triangles.
7
Serve the sandwiches immediately, or store them covered with a piece of wax paper and a slightly damp paper towel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

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