Fresh and Delicious Cucumber Sandwiches

I learned to make cucumber sandwiches when my daughter was young. She wasn’t a great fan of vegetables, especially the green ones. So, when she asked for cucumber sandwiches after reading about them in a story, I jumped at the chance to make them. She’s been eating them ever since.

Cucumber sandwiches were invented by the British in the Victorian era. The original version was made with white sandwich bread sliced very, very think, spread edge to edge with a very thin layer of butter, and topped with peeled cucumbers seasoned with salt and lemon juice.

Although the original is tasty, this modern version is a little easier to handle since the cream cheese acts as a barrier between the moisture of the cucumbers and the bread, keeping the sandwiches from getting soggy.

It takes a block of cream cheese about 30 minutes to soften at room temperature—an hour to bring the cheese to room temperature. If you cut it into cubes and spread them out on a plate, it reduced the softening time to about 15 minutes.

If you don’t have time to let it sit out, you can soften it in the microwave! Just place unwrapped cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds on high for 4 ounces (half a brick), or 15-20 seconds for 8 ounces (the whole brick).

Alternatively, you can use whipped cream cheese straight from the refrigerator for this recipe. Just be sure to weigh out your 4 ounces since whipped cheese has more volume than regular cream cheese.

You could do this in the food processor. But I don’t. Why clean a food processor when a small bowl and spoon are all you need? Since your cream cheese is soft, it doesn’t take much effort or any power appliances to combine the cheese, mayonnaise, and seasonings. Just use a spoon to stir it together.

The seasoning I have included are the classic flavors for cucumber sandwiches. But if you want to liven things up, feel free. It would taste great if you added a bit of fresh or dried dill. If you love spicy food, a pinch of ground red pepper or a squirt of siracha might add a nice kick. They’re your sandwiches. Dress them your way.

English cucumbers (also called hothouse cucumbers) are the traditional choice for cucumber sandwiches. These long, slender cukes have very thin skins that taste good. Although they are often referred to as seedless cucumbers, they do have seeds that are extra small and easy to eat. English cucumbers work well for cucumber sandwiches because they have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and none of the bitterness or sourness that garden cucumbers can have.

You can use fresh cucumbers from your garden, but you may need to do a little extra work. If the skins are thick or bitter, peel them. If the seeds are large or sour, as they sometimes are, remove them.

No matter what kind of cucumber you use, slice them thinly, about 1/8 inch. You may want to use a mandoline to get nice, even slices.

White bread is the traditional choice for cucumber sandwiches, but you can really use any bread you like. Just remember that the cucumbers and cheese spread have delicate flavors. So a bread with a robust flavor might be overwhelming.

Here, I am using a mildly sweet pumpernickel. This bread is one of my daughter’s favorites. (Thanks to a certain purple dinosaur!) So we eat a lot of pumpernickel. I have also made cucumber sandwiches with whole wheat bread and soft sourdough, but classic white bread with the crusts removed is traditional.

I like to use a generous amount of cream cheese spread. It has such a nice flavor. But then I’m a sucker for anything with garlic and lemon in it. For neater sandwiches, use a little less. Spread it from edge to edge.

Layer your sliced cucumbers on one side of the bread. I used about ten slices of English cucumber here. If your cucumber is larger, use fewer slices. You want a nice thin layer but not a stack of cucumbers.

Spread a layer of cheese on another slice of bread so the cucumbers will stick to both pieces of bread.

Once you’ve made the sandwiches, slice them into four pieces each. You can make triangles or squares. The choice is yours. Either is delicious.

Fresh and Delicious Cucumber Sandwiches

Course: Entertaining, Healthy, Lunch, Snacks, VegetablesCuisine: English, AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Traditional cucumber sandwiches are a light and delicious addition to your tea, luncheon, or party table.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (whipped works straight out of the fridge)

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

• Scant 1/8 teaspoon onion powder

• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest

• Dash of freshly ground black pepper

• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce (a scant 1/8 teaspoon)

• 12 slices bread (white is traditional), crusts removed

• 1 seedless cucumber (English cucumber), sliced thin

Directions

• Combine softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, lemon zest, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Stir until well blended. There should be no lumps of cheese.
• Spread cheese mixture evenly on all slices of bread. Top half of the bread with cucumber slices. Place the other half of the bread on top of the cucumbers with the cheese side down to form sandwiches.
• Cut each sandwich crossways for squares or diagonally for triangles.

Notes

• This recipe calls for finely ground sea salt. If you are using table salt, cut the amount in half and adjust as needed to taste. Table salt is much stronger tasting than sea salt.
• White bread is traditional for cucumber sandwiches, but you may use whatever bread you like. Crusts should be removed.
• For parties, make half with white bread and half with wheat or pumpernickel. Cut sandwiches into squares and arrange them on a platter in a checkerboard pattern.
• This cheese spread also works well for smoked salmon canapes. Remove crusts and cut bread slices into triangles. Spread your bread with the cheese spread. Top it with smoked salmon and a sprig of dill or pinch of lemon zest. Serve open-faced.