Currant Jelly Sandwich

A rolled tea sandwich that depends almost entirely on the bread being soft and pliable enough to curl without cracking. Everything else is assembly.

• The hinge: bread that will rollUse a fresh, fine-crumbed white sandwich loaf, crusts trimmed, sliced as thin as a serrated knife allows. Flatten each slice with a rolling pin before buttering; a day-old or coarse artisan loaf will split along the curve.
• Butter first, alwaysThe even coat of softened butter is not for flavour so much as waterproofing. Jelly spread straight onto bread soaks through in minutes and the roll goes limp.
• CocoanutFresh grated coconut meat, which the period assumed you would crack and grate yourself. Frozen grated coconut, thawed and squeezed dry, is the closest; sweetened desiccated coconut is drier and much sweeter, so use less.
• Currant jellyRed currant jelly, tart and firm-set, not currant jam and not dried Zante currants. If the jar is loose, beat it smooth and let it drain a moment on a spoon so it does not run out of the ends.
• Baby ribbonA narrow silk or satin ribbon, roughly 1/8 inch wide, tied around the middle of each roll. It is decoration and closure both; a cocktail pick or a half-hour seam-side-down in the refrigerator does the same job less prettily.
• "Make when ready to serve"The direction is to assemble them immediately before they go to the table. Rolls can be shaped, wrapped tightly in damp cloth or plastic and chilled for an hour or two, but the coconut turns leathery and the jelly bleeds pink into the bread if held longer.
• YieldOne roll per slice, so the count depends on how many thin slices the loaf gives. Count three or four per person at a tea table, where they would have sat alongside savoury sandwiches.