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5 from 5 votes

Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Tea Sandwiches

Adorable bite-sized tea sandwiches perfect for afternoon tea or for party appetizers.
Prep Time8 minutes
Total Time8 minutes
Course: Afternoon Tea
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 tea sandwiches
Author: Jee Choe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Find a round cookie cutter that fits cocktail tomatoes inside snugly.
    This cookie cutter will be the one we use to cut the mozzarella and the bread.
  • Slice tomatoes and drain.
    Cut tomatoes 1/4" thick. A mandoline slicer if possible to get slices that are the same thickness. Lay slices out on a paper towel to drain. Place another paper towel on top to blot dry.
  • Cut out mozzarella circles using the cookie cutter.
    Peel each pre-sliced fresh mozzarella cheese slice apart and use the cookie cutter to cut each circle. If the mozzarella is too watery, blot them a bit with a paper towel.
    Clean and dry the cookie cutter.
  • Cut bread into circles using the cookie cutter.
    Avoid cutting the crust.
  • Assemble tea sandwiches.
    Start with a bread circle, then top with mozzarella cheese. They should stack perfectly on top of each other. Top with another bread circle. Take the drained tomato and place it on the bread. Layer one more piece of bread. Finally, the basil leaf is placed on top and the cocktail fork goes right through the center, holding the whole tea sandwich together.

Notes

  • To make 4 of these tea sandwiches, you'll need: 4 tomato slices, 4 mozzarella cheese circles, 12 bread circles, and 4 basil leaves.
  • Pepperidge Farm's White Sandwich Bread or Very Thin White Bread are both great for making tea sandwiches.
  • You can cut the tomatoes using a knife but I recommend using a mandoline slicer to get the tomato slices to be perfectly uniform.
  • Juicy tomatoes will instantly make your tea sandwiches soggy so make sure to leave them out on paper towels to drain.
  • Cookie cutters are my trick to making perfectly uniform tea sandwiches. If you don't have any round cookie cutters, use a small drinking cup or shot glass to press down on the bread to cut out the circles. A cup with a thin rim will cut through the bread the easiest.
  • If you can't find the pre-sliced mozzarella, you can get a block of mozzarella cheese, slice it, then cut out the circles. Aim for 1/4" thickness.
  • Cut into frozen bread if you want the cleanest edges.
  • Make sure to blot all wet ingredients so the bread doesn't get soggy.
  • Make the sandwiches the night before and cover with wax paper then a damp paper towel in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep the sandwiches from drying out. But the best would be if you prepped all the ingredients beforehand and assembled the tea sandwiches the day of.

Nutrition

Calories: 186 | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 2mg