Sandwiches Made from Fruit and Nuts
It took more time and work to make sandwiches in the 1800s. People often made their own bread but they could also buy it from markets and bakeries if they could afford it. However, it wasn’t until 1928 that bread was pre-sliced by machine. And although people sometimes used jelly and marmalade for sweet tasting sandwiches, they usually used dried or fresh fruit and nuts, which took more time to prepare.
INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS
Sandwiches that have fruit for their filling appeal to many persons. For the most part, dried fruits are used for this purpose and they usually require cooking. Another type of fruit sandwich is that which has jelly or marmalade for its filling. As fruit sandwiches are sweet and not very hearty, they are much served for afternoon tea, or to provide variety when another kind of sandwich is being served.
Sandwiches made with a sweet filling are most popular among children. Some of them make good substitutes for cake and are much more easily digested. The dried fruits such as dates, figs, and prunes, cooked and combined with bread and butter make excellent foods.
The growing child is apt to become anemic. Since prunes contain iron, they should be frequently used in children’s diet. Cooked prunes—seeded and flavored with lemon juice—make palatable sandwiches, especially when brown bread is used or a few chopped nuts are added. Breads containing sugar or molasses are most pleasing when used with a sweet filling. Banana sandwiches are much improved by the addition of lemon juice or salad dressing. Chopped raisins and nuts may be moistened with grape juice and used as sandwich filling.
DATE SANDWICHES
Wash three-fourth cup dates and remove the seeds. Steam them over hot water or in a double boiler until they are soft, and then mash them thoroughly. Squeeze the juice from one-half lemon, grate the yellow part of the rind, mix with the juice, and add both to the steamed dates. Then add one-fourth cup nut meats chopped very fine. Cut thin slices of bread and spread one slice with butter and the corresponding slice with the date filling. Place the two together, trim the crusts if desired, and serve.
APRICOT SANDWICHES
Wash and soak one-half cup dried apricots and when they are thoroughly softened, cook them until tender in just enough water to keep them from burning. Put them through a sieve or a colander and add one-half cup sugar, one-fourth teaspoon cinnamon, and one tablespoon lemon juice to the pulp. Place over the fire and cook until the mixture becomes thick, stirring constantly to keep it from scorching. Set aside to cool. Cut the bread into thin slices, butter one slice, and spread the other of each pair of slices with the apricot filling. Put each two slices together and trim the edges if desired and serve.
FRESH FRUIT SANDWICHES
These sandwiches are exceedingly nice to serve for afternoon teas. They must be used soon after they are made. They will, however, if wrapped in a damp napkin, keep for an hour, but as fruit is soft, the bread is liable to become moist, which spoils the sandwich.
Mince seeded grapes, sliced canned pineapple, and mashed bananas together to a paste. Spread on slices of plain white, graham,* or nut bread. Cover with a thin layer of salad dressing and press a thin piece of buttered bread on top.
*graham – ground wheat from which the bran has not been removed.
Other ways — Butter the bread and put between the slices layers of sliced strawberries dusted with powdered sugar; or raspberries or large blackberries cut into halves; or peaches, finely chopped; or apple seasoned with a little salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice; or sliced bananas with a dash of lemon juice. All are very nice.
MAPLE SANDWICH
Put one cup of finely shaved maple sugar through the meat chopper with one cup of blanched almonds. Then mix to a paste with thick sweet cream. Spread on slices of brown or white bread.
DATE AND NUT SANDWICHES
Remove the stones and scales from the dates and break them up with a fork. Chop pecan meats fine and use twice as many dates as nuts. Mix together and moisten with creamed butter, adding a dash of salt. Spread between thin slices of bread.
DREAM SANDWICHES
Take one-half cup of pecan nuts chopped fine, one-half cup stoned raisins, one chopped, peeled apple, the juice of one-half lemon, and one spoon of sugar. Mix all together with a small amount of cream. It makes an excellent filling for sandwiches.
RAISIN SANDWICHES
Put one-half pound of seeded raisins through the meat grinder. Add one-fourth pound of almonds that have been blanched, dried, and ground. Add a half tumbler of quince* jelly, mix thoroughly, and put between thin slices of buttered white bread. These sandwiches are very nice in place of cake for afternoon teas or evening companies.
*quince – a fruit similar in appearance to a pear, but not grown much in the U.S. today
CHERRY SANDWICHES
Chop one-fourth pound of candied cherries very fine, adding occasionally as you chop them a few drops of orange juice, or if you use wine, a few drops of sherry. Mix thoroughly and spread over water thins, making it a little deeper in the center than at the edges. These sandwiches are better made from crackers than from bread. Arrange neatly on a pretty glass dish and they are ready to serve.
FIG SANDWICHES
Split a dozen figs and scrape out the soft portion, rejecting the skins. Work this to a paste. Cut the slices of bread from the loaf, buttering each slice before you cut them, making them quite thin. Remove the crusts, and spread this thick fig paste over the bread and roll carefully. Press for a moment until there is no danger of the roll opening. Roll each in a piece of tissue paper, twisting the ends, or they may be tied with baby ribbon. These are exceedingly wholesome and palatable.
FRUIT AND NUT SANDWICHES
Put through the meat chopper one-fourth pound of almonds with half a pound of washed figs, the same quantity of dates, the same of raisins, and a pound of pecan nuts. Put them through alternately so that they will be mixed in chopping. Pack the mixture into round baking powder tins, pressing it down firmly, and stand it aside over night. When wanted, dip the tin in hot water, loosen it with a knife and shake out the mixture. With a sharp knife cut into very thin slices and put them between two rounds of buttered bread. Serve with chocolate.
The combination may be varied; candied cherries, citron, or any of the candied fruits may be substituted for the dates and figs. Brazilian and pine nuts may be substituted for a portion of the pecans.
NUT AND APPLE SANDWICHES
Put a half cup of thick stewed apples into a bowl, add the grated yellow rind of quarter of an orange, and one cup of finely chopped mixed nuts. Spread this on any crisp cracker. Put on top another cracker and serve at once. These are very nice for children’s parties. Of course one may use buttered bread, either white or brown.
GINGER AND MARMALADE SANDWICHES
Put four or five pieces of ginger through your meat chopper. Stir this paste into a half cup of orange marmalade. Put between slices of buttered bread, press them together, trim the crusts and cut into fingers. These are nice for afternoon teas. Ginger and carrot marmalade are also very nice.
Photo from Deposit Photos
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Do you have a favorite sweet sandwich? Please leave a comment below.
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5 thoughts on “Sandwiches Made from Fruit and Nuts”
These sound yummy for a picnic, no worries about spoiling. I’ve never considered fruit and nuts for sandwiches.
I would never have thought of ginger and marmalade either. So many of these sound so good.
These older recipes are encouraging me to get out of my food rut and try something new.
My mouth is already watering. Last night I had the worst itch for something sweet! I think I found what I’m looking for! Thanks Angela!
I like sweets now and then, too, but today’s candy, jelly and jams, etc. are almost all TOO sweet. So I’m learning to make my own. I especially like the ginger and marmalade recipe. I love ginger, but never thought of using it in a sandwich.