Tea sandwiches and Cheddar Cheese HELP!

[smilingal]

I'm that crazy one that needs to prepare 300 tea sandwiches this weekend. I just tried slicing the aged cheddar cheese to play around with the sizes corresponding bread and I am freaking a little. The cheese doesn't cut into slices! Why? Is this normal? This is cold from the fridge.

Can anyone make a suggestion? I was using a sharp knife.

[feedmec00kies]

Try letting it come to room temperature before slicing again. It won't break apart as easily.

[JAZ]

Aged cheeses dry as they age, so they're never going to slice very well (depending, of course, on exactly how aged they are) -- they'll always have a tendency to crumble. One way around this problem that would probably work for tea sandwiches is to pulse the cheese in a food processor with just enough liquid or fat to form a thick spread. Depending on what else you're planning for the sandwiches, you could use a little cream cheese, butter, or beer.

[Alcuin]

You might try a wire slicer too if you're committed to the idea of slices. How old's the cheese?

[kbjesq]

Also try using one of those metal wire cheese slicers instead of a knife, you'll probably have better luck. Good cheddar is going to be crumbly by nature but especially so when it is very cold, or heaven forbid, frozen and thawed. I have had some luck using a mandoline for producing large quantities of sliced cheddar (I periodically sprayed the cutting blade with cooking spray to keep the cheese from getting gummed up). In my experience, it can be quite a challenge to make uniform slices of aged cheddar. Good luck!

PS The suggestion of incorporating the cheese into some kind of spread is probably the best idea, given the number of sandwiches that you need to prepare.

Edited October 5, 2010 by kbjesq (log)

[inductioncook]

Slicing at room temperature will best preserve the texture. Does it matter if it crumbles a little? I would think that could add to the character, emphasizing the fact that it is an aged, hard cheese.

[smilingal]

Thanks to you all - it is Costco's large brick of 3 yr Cabot Sharp Cheddar - This will be on pumpernickle with Mango Chutney spread. First, everyone here seems to agree that the cheese should be more room temp. I was concerned it would be too difficult to cut if it was softer. I just bought a mandoline (more professional than the flimsy one I had) to cut cucumber and lemon slices for another tea sandwich selection. You think I should try the cheese on that as well? Also, I read (somewhere on here thankyou!) that I should be buttering both insides of the breads. Should I be doing that regardless of the fillings? AND last(at least for now) should I still try to mix that cheese in the food processor with butter - or will the chutney keep it all on? Just finished making the lemon curd - YUM!

[JAZ]

Given that you're pairing the cheese with a mango spread, maybe my idea for a cheese spread won't work. I think the texture of slices of cheese would work better. But I've never had any luck cutting cheese on a mandoline -- the problem is that the cheese sticks. A cheese knife with holes in the blade -- like this one -- works as well as anything on aged cheeses. It's what I use when I need to slice aged cheddar or gouda.

[smilingal]

JAZ - yes - I had been hoping all along to serve a cheese slice with the mango chutney for the difference in the textures - thanks for showing me that knife - I have a small thin sharp knive with a curved blade as well I think - I have to hunt for it - but I am thinking it might work better than the large chef's knife I tried!

Such disasters - I don't like making things for large parties without first trying them in advance - tonight I made shortbread tarts to have filled with the lemon curd - but they were not a pretty sight - and also too dry. Saturday is the day - GULP - tomorrow I will try something else for the curd carrier!

[KarenDW]

We have had some success using a food processor with slicing blade: the 11 or 12 cup ka works really well.

As for the lemon tarts: can you contact your local food service distributor, or a local bakery, to order tart shells? Then you can concentrate on the other stuff.

[Badiane]

You could always *ahem* cut the cheese in fingers and make pinwheel sandwiches. That would save a lot of trial and error and messing about.

For the sandwiches - if they have to sit out for a length of time, a thin sheen of butter on the outside can keep them from drying out. Another good trick for keeping the edges nice is to smear them with a bit of butter and edge them with parsley or some other green herby thing. When I do tea sandwiches, I leave them whole until I have to plate them, and keep the stacks waiting to be cut covered with a damp tea towel, then drape the plates with a damp tea towel until the last possible second.

[smilingal]

Just made the tarts - love how they came out - could look a bit better - when I get a chance I will try to post a picture! Just so time consuming with pushing the dough into the mini-muffin tins - wonder if there is an easier way - tried many ideas but none seemed to work as well as the fingers! And as for the food processor - have you used that with Aged cheddar - it seems that aged cheese is drier and thus more crumbly.

[smilingal]

thanks for the idea of the edging - I have forgotten all about that idea - I will keep it in mind - maybe get some fresh parsley - and if when I cut the breads they aren't pretty I will do that. I think that idea makes it even prettier but I don't think I will have that leisure time!

[smilingal]

Tea party was a great hit. Thank you EVERYONE for your input and suggestions. I was very pleased with my results and have attached some pics. I hope they come out. I served the updated version of the old cucumber sandwich - Hummos, cucumber and lemon on white, sharp cheddar and mango chutney on pumpernickel, Chicken and shallot jam on 9 grain bread - and mini lemon tarts for a sweet ending. The only thing I would change is that I realized I was better off with the back-up platters for all the sandwiches as opposed to the chicken sandwich platter which I had layer three tiers. I can be my worst critic! I enjoyed the compliments! HURRAY! It's over!!