Patriotic Ribbon Tea Sandwiches

Patriotic Ribbon Tea Sandwiches make a simple and festive little treat for the July 4th holiday. These finger sandwiches are a bit craftier than the usual tea sandwich–their cut sides resemble long stripes on spools of ribbon, where different fillings create a distinct visual impression.What sets these pretty treats apart from regular finger sandwiches is an extra layer of colorful filling and super thin-cut bread. The ideal thickness of the bread is about 1/4”, so that you can stack the slices to create an easy-to-eat sandwich that’s not too tall. The fillings are made from cream cheese, similar to the flavored cream cheese you find at the market, but with the proportion of fruit turned way up. Using freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries, we create spreads with strong, tart-sweet fruit flavor and brilliant, natural color. You’ll notice the fruited cream cheese turn a deeper, darker shade after the ingredients have some time to meld together. The richer the color, the more beautiful the sandwich. To spread the fillings out evenly and not cause rips in the bread, make sure to work with the spreads at room temperature. You can easily make the fillings for Ribbon Tea Sandwiches a day or two beforehand. The sandwiches themselves can even be constructed and cut the night before serving–just store them in airtight containers to preserve the bread’s soft texture.With the right ingredients, these sandwiches can be made to suit any celebration, but for today I’m going All-American with red, white, and blue! Wishing you have a happy and safe July 4th…enjoy!!

Patriotic Ribbon Tea Sandwiches

Makes 12-15 small sandwiches. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freeze-dried raspberries

1/2 cup freeze-dried blueberries

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

4 Tbsp fine sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

loaf of bread, sliced thin to 1/4″

Equipment:

2 medium bowls

food processor

serrated bread knife

spreading knife

paper towels

bread slicer (optional)

Directions:

1.  Place 4 oz. of cream cheese in each bowl.

2.  In the food processor, one at a time, process each fruit into a powder. Wipe down the blade and processor bowl with a dry paper towel in between each fruit processing so that the colors don’t get mixed. Dump each fruit powder in to one of the bowls with the cream cheese.

3.  To each bowl, add 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Mix the contents of each bowl thoroughly with a spoon until the fruit cream cheese is homogenous in color.

4.  Spread the raspberry cream cheese on one slice of bread and the blueberry cream cheese on a second slice. Spread the cream cheese evenly on each slice of bread, through to the edges.

5.  Stack the slices, one on top of another, with a 3rd piece of bread on top. Use the serrated knife to cut off the crusts. Cut the stacks into rectangles or triangles, wiping the knife down with a wet paper towel after each slice.

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