Weddingbee

When throwing a bridal shower, one may decide to offer some refreshments for the bride and her guests. Finger foods are both elegant and able to be eaten with ease, making them a popular choice for bridal showers. The type and amount of finger food served will depend on the theme and time of day.

Contents 1 Tea Sandwiches 2 Tea Sandwich Tips 3 Desserts 4 Dessert Tips 5 Easy Store Bought Ideas 6 Weddingbee Posts

[edit] Tea Sandwiches

Tea Sandwiches are an elegant and easy finger food that can be catered too all kinds of tastes. You don't have to have afternoon tea to have tea sandwiches (though afternoon tea is a great idea for a bridal shower too).

• Smoked Salmon w/ Chive Cream Cheese - Mix finely chopped chives with store bought cream cheese, then spread it on both sides of the sandwich bread. Layer slices of smoked salmon on one side of the bread, then close it and cut the crust off. Finally, cut to desired shapes.

• Cucumber Sandwich - Slice cucumbers into thin rounds and drain on a paper towel. Combine some unsalted butter with chopped watercress and spread on each side of the bread. Place a cucumber round with some alfalfa sprouts and cover with other side of the bread.
• Egg Salad Sandwich - Combine 8 chopped hard boiled eggs with 1/2 mayonnaise, 1 tbsp chopped dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon some of the mixture onto buttered bread and cut to desired shapes.
• Chicken Curry Sandwiches - Combine 2 cups and chopped chicken meat of your choice (1 breast = roughly 1 cup) with some chopped celery and nuts. Add any type of curry powder (brown or red would probably be best here but you can experiment) to taste, adding it little by little as curry powder is quite strong. Spoon the mixture on to buttered bread and cut to desired shapes.

[edit] Tea Sandwich Tips

• Remember not to omit the butter; it keeps the sandwiches from getting soggy from the filling. The butter acts as a barrier to the moisture.
• The crust may be left on if desired, but traditionally the crust is cut off.
• It is best to choose a high quality white bread, though other types of breads may be used.
• Both the egg salad and curry chicken mixtures (not the sandwiches) may be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. However for the curry chicken, leave the celery and nuts out until assembling time.

[edit] Desserts

Who can forget dessert? Many desserts already come in single sized portions. Some ideas are:

• Cupcakes - These can be made more elegant with beautiful icing and decorations.
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries - Why pay $2 a strawberry when you can make these at home for much less? Simply melt some bittersweet chocolate and dip some washed and dried strawberries in, and let them rest and harden sitting upside down on the stem side (eliminates the pool of hardened chocolate that develops when they are set on their side). Drizzle with some melted white chocolate for added elegance.
• Petit Fours - These are small bite size cakes that are individually iced and decorated. To make these, layer a few thin sheets of cake, icing each layer. Then cut the cake into small rectangles or squares, and ice each one individually with royal icing (so that a hard shell forms) and then decorate as desired. These may require some practice to perfect.

[edit] Dessert Tips

• Use a Wilton Cupcake Stand to make your dessert tablescape even more beautiful.
• Before you dip the strawberries in the chocolate, it is absolutely crucial that the strawberries are completely dried. Otherwise the shell will slip off of the strawberry once dried. The easiest way to do this is to first towel off the strawberries, then set them out to air dry on a cooling rack.
• Petit fours can also be purchased for delivery at different websites, such as Dragonfly Cakes or Devine Delights.

[edit] Easy Store Bought Ideas

Delicious finger foods can be prepared without spending days in the kitchen. Store bought ready made foods can be both delicious and time saving.

• Frozen Mini Quiches - Mini quiches can be found nowadays at just about every major grocery store and bulk foods retailer. They can be taken in their frozen form to the party location and heated on the spot if an oven is available, eliminating extra time spent cooking at home.
• Mexican Taquitos - For a more casual party, frozen Taquitos can be heated at the party as well. Flavors are generally chicken and beef.
• Frozen Desserts - Frozen finger food desserts such as cream puffs and mini eclairs are available in most frozen food aisles of grocery stores and bulk food retailers.

[edit] Weddingbee Posts

• Shower Fun by Miss Dahlia
• What do you do if your bridesmaids do not want to throw you a shower? by Beehive
• Bridal Shower Food the Easy Way by Mrs. Bee