British Cheese and Pickle Tea Sandwiches

5 from 1 vote

A mini version of the classic British cheese and pickle sandwiches to serve at tea time.

Prep Time4

Total Time4

Course: Afternoon Tea

Cuisine: American

Servings: tea sandwiches

Author: Jee Choe

Cut circles out of the bread using a cookie cutter.
Avoid the cutting the crust. Cut 8 circles out of the bread.
Cut 4 circles out of the cheese.
Use the same cookie size to cut circles out of the cheese.
Assemble the tea sandwich.
Spread Branston pickle on each circle of bread. Place a piece of cheese on top of one bread circle with the Branston pickle facing up. Top with another circle of bread, this time with the Branston pickle facing down.
Repeat until you make 4 tea sandwiches.

It’s best to use a sandwich bread that isn’t too thick.
A round cookie cutter around 2 inches work the best.
Freeze bread to get the cleanest cuts.
Get the small chunk Branston pickle to make it easier to spread.
Use any pre-sliced packaged sharp cheddar.
Since tea sandwiches are traditionally enjoyed at room temperature and not cold, it’s recommended to make these just ahead of serving. If preparing ahead of time, take them out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving to let them warm up.
When making these tea sandwiches in advance, spread a thin layer of butter on the sides of the bread that touches the Branston pickle to prevent the bread from getting soggy.
You can also cut out the cheese and bread ahead of time, but assemble the sandwiches just before serving.
To store the tea sandwiches overnight in the refrigerator, loosely cover the prepared sandwiches with wax paper and a damp paper towel in an airtight container. Don’t let the damp paper towel touch the sandwiches.