I once read that grandmas are just vintage little girls. That was definitely the case with me and my grandmother who, along with my mom, introduced me to the joy of teatime. We would cut the crusts off our little sandwiches and cut them into triangles, set out the table with a dainty tablecloth and our fancy china, and drink green tea with lemon (my favorite) out of delicate teacups with saucers. These tea parties that we used to have between the three generations comprise some of my absolute favorite memories of all time. They also inspired a continued love and appreciation for tea, tiny sandwiches, and miniature desserts. I continue to scour cookbooks, the internet, and tearooms for new recipes to add to my teatime repertoire. The three recipes below represent some new additions to my collection. 

The flavors in the Apple-Blue Cheese Canapes are the epitome of fall and they make use of one of my favorites- cinnamon-swirl bread. The blue-cheese adds a funky, grown-up flavor to teatime while the crisp apples add a welcome contrast in texture from the creamy cheese mixture. The toasted walnuts or pecans add crunch and the cinnamon and honey add a complex sweetness. Unsurprisingly, I have become absolutely enamored with Teatime Magazine which offers a wide array of teatime savories and sweets including the scrumptious palmiers described below, which are filled with bacon, salty gruyere, and earthy rosemary. After being baked to flaky perfection, they are brushed with a honey-butter mixture. The last teatime indulgence makes use of the Pumpkins Muffins I shared last month. The muffins are filled with a yummy cream cheese mixture, turkey and swiss, and caramelized onions. These sandwiches would be perfectly accompanied by Betty’s Sugar and Spice Apple Crisp, perhaps baked in individual ramekins for each guest. I hope that teatime will become a tradition that will be well-embraced in your home!

Apple, Cinnamon, and Blue Cheese Canapes on Cinnamon-Swirl Bread

Serves: 12 canapes

Ingredients:

• 6 slices cinnamon-raisin swirl bread, toasted, crust removed, and cut in half
• 2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, finely chopped + whole pecans or walnuts, for serving
• 1 Gala apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Stir together blue cheese, cream cheese, and ½ cup chopped nuts. Spread mixture onto toasted cinnamon-raisin swirl bread. Top each canape with 2-3 apple slices, then drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Garnish each canape with a toasted pecan or walnut. 

Savory Palmiers 

Serves: about 2 dozen palmiers

Adapted from Teatime Holidays 2017

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen puff pastry, two sheets
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
• 4 tablespoons black olives, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and Pepper
• Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water)
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Let puff pastry thaw until pliable, about 20-30 minutes.
2. Leaving a small border around the edges, sprinkle each sheet of puff pastry with ½ cup Gruyere cheese, 2 strips of crumbled bacon, 2 tablespoons black olives, ¼ teaspoon each of dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. 
3. Starting at one of the longest sides, roll up the puff pastry until you reach the half-way point. Move to the other long side and roll up the pastry until you reach the half-way point and the two rolled up parts meet, forming a palmier. Refrigerate 10 minutes. 
4. Using a serrated knife, slice each of the palmier logs into 12 slices. Place face-side up on prepared baking sheets and brush with egg wash. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown. 
5. Combine salted butter and honey in a small bowl. Brush palmiers with honey-butter mixture and serve warm. 

Pumpkin Muffin Sandwiches with Turkey and Caramelized Onions

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 Pumpkin Muffins, sliced in half horizontally
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• ½ cup cream cheese, softened
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ lb. thinly sliced swiss cheese
• ½ pound turkey lunchmeat
• Arugula or Spring Mix

Directions:

1. In a small sauté pan, melt butter over med-high heat. Add onion and cook 30-40 minutes until caramelized. Lower the heat if the onions are browning too quickly. Add the sugar and cider vinegar and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, sage, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread cream cheese mixture on the top and bottom half of each muffin. Layer with caramelized onions, sliced swiss, turkey, and arugula or spring mix. Top with a decorative toothpick.

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