These petite finger sandwiches have been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. We always seemed to serve them on happy occasions, most of the time with only the ladies for baby or bridal showers, graduation teas, and luncheons. I remember Mama getting up early on Saturday mornings when she had a shower or meeting to go to and making these little goodies. I especially remember her carefully trimming the ends off the bread.
Makes 24 tea sandwiches
8 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1 CUP SEEDED AND GRATED CUCUMBER
¼ CUP FINELY CHOPPED SCALLIONS
2 TABLESPOONS MAYONNAISE
1 TABLESPOON HOT SAUCE
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
24 SLICES WHITE BREAD
1. Mix the cream cheese, cucumber, scallions, mayonnaise, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Spread an even layer of the cheese mixture on 12 slices of bread. Top each with the other pieces of bread to make 12 sandwiches. Trim the crusts off all the sandwiches, then slice each diagonally into 2 triangular tea sandwiches. Arrange them on a platter.
SOUTHERN SIMPLE: You can make these sandwiches ahead, but be sure to cover them with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap or the bread will start to dry up and curl at the edges.
SOUTHERN SIMPLE: To seed and grate the cucumbers, slice them lengthwise, then use a spoon to scrape out and discard the seeds. Grate the cucumber flesh using a box grater. If using English cucumbers, there is no need to seed.
SOUTHERN SKINNY: To lighten this recipe, use ⅓-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) and fat-free mayonnaise or reduced-fat Vegenaise on thin-sliced low-calorie bread.