Books, Tea, and the Trinity: Pepper Teigen’s Thai Sweet Chili Tea Sandwiches

Back in 2020, some friends and I started a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club. We met every Wednesday and worked our way through the Chronicles of Narnia and are currently working through The Chronicles of Prydain. When we started I resolved to share all the recipes, but I couldn’t keep up and that’s why I’m still two years behind (but I’m catching up!) All recipes are now going to be titled Books, Tea, and the Trinity.

After we finished The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; A Horse and His Boy, and Prince Caspian; the next book was The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

We continued our discussion of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The first week we had Golden Tip Lapsang Souchang tea, Dragon Cheddar Scones, Roast Beef and Watercress Sandwiches, Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Tea Sandwiches, Pizza Balls, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.

The second week we didn’t have anything homemade, but the third week we had Thai Green Milk Tea: Grandpa’s Favorite Thai White Tea; Blueberry Scones, Cranberry Feta Pinwheels, Pepper Teigen’s Thai Sweet Chili Tea Sandwiches; Cranberry, Cream Cheese, and Turkey Pinwheels; Lemon Squash; and Salami Wrapped Parmesan Cheese.

And food to go with.

This recipe comes from The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone’s Favorite Thai Mom by Pepper Teigen and Garrett Snyder. My sister and I really enjoyed this book as it had wonderful recipes and all were catered toward making Thai cooking easy for someone starting out along with what you can substitute with if you are unable to find certain ingredients. We also enjoyed reading about Pepper Teigen’s thoughts on life, food, and family. I recommend it if you like Thai food and cooking.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices soft white bread or potato bread
  
• 6 tbsp. (3 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
  
• 5 tbsp. Thai chili jam (nam prik pao) or 4 tbsp. chile crisp
  
• ½ English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
  
• Cilantro leaves
  
• Kosher or flaky salt

Instructions:

1. Place the bread slices on the counter.
2. Divide the cream cheese evenly among three of the bread slices—use as much as you need so there’s a good blanket on the bread.
3. Spread the chili jam onto the other three slices.
4. Top the cream cheese side with cucumber slices, a few sprigs of cilantro, and a sprinkle of salt.
5. Place the slice with chili jam on top and gently press together.
6. Trim off the crusts (see note, below) and cut each sandwich into thirds crosswise.
7. Place on a fancy platter and serve with your favorite tea.
8. Note: While cutting off the crusts of the bread is a must, that doesn’t mean you have to throw those scraps away, says Teigen. Toast them in the oven for a few minutes until crunchy, then grind them in a blender and voilà, instant bread crumbs.

These were so delicious! Eaten immediately! I highly recommend.

For more from our Books, Tea, and the Trinity tea times, go to Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Tea Sandwiches

For more sandwich recipes, go to Roast Beef & Watercress Tea Sandwiches

For more recipes, go to How to Throw a Valentea Party

For more tea posts, go to Dragon Cheddar and Tomato Scones

Blueberry Yogurt Oat Scones

So my sister and I started Period Drama Saturdays last year during the stay at home orders.

At first we would just have tea but then that grew to adding snacks to our teatime.

One Saturday we were planning on watching Outlander and I had really been wanting to try out some oat scones from Plum Deluxe, and I felt like what better time than the present? After all oats and Scotland seemed to go well together.

But then I started baking and after I had already started mixing my ingredients, I realized my Sour Cream had expired, so instead I had to use a substitute.

From Clueless

I searched the internet and my fridge and ended up substituting with blueberry Greek yogurt. And because I was no longer following the recipe and had some frozen blueberries I decided to throw them in too. That’s also why these scones came out an interesting color.

YUM!

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, grated and frozen
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour of choice
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup of Blueberry Yogurt
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 to 4 tablespoons milk, if necessary
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 Cup of Frozen or Fresh Blueberries
• Sugar for topping

Directions:

1. Grate and freeze butter, storing in freezer until just before ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Combine flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl.
4. Add butter and toss with a fork until mixture is crumbly.
5. Add yogurt, baking soda, and blueberries; mixing until just combined, being careful not to overwork the dough.
6. If the dough is too crumbly and the flour does not incorporate, add a splash of milk to help bring it all together.
7. Turn dough onto a greased baking sheet, and form into a one-inch thick disk. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.
8. Cut into 8 wedges, placed slightly apart on baking sheet.
9. Refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes before baking (to re-chill the butter).
10. Bake 18 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and set.

These were good, but not that sweet. Would I make them again? I’m not sure. They weren’t bad, but they were also not fantastic or memorable. I plan to retry this recipe in the future again, but this time I will make sure I have all the ingredients.

In other news, I made this recipe at the beginning of the month, when I had Flat Jane, so that means I’m a step closer to finishing. If only I could catch up on all my other lists. But as for now:

For more recipes, go to Turkish Delight

For more scones, go to Blueberry Rose Scones

For more blueberry scones, go to Irish Blueberry Scones

For more tea posts, go to Jane Austen Birthday Party Music & Party Review