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Turkey Tea Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" by Ina Garten


Recipe Introduction

"What an unusual combination for a sandwich! I invented it for a picnic lunch, and people loved it so much I decided to put it on the menu. Fresh basil leaves are the secret. These sandwiches can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered with damp paper towels and wrapped in plastic to keep them moist."

List of Ingredients

Scallion Cream Cheese:
â—¦ ¾ pound cream cheese, room temperature
â—¦ ½ cup minced scallions (white and green parts)

Sandwiches:
â—¦ 1 loaf dense raisin-nut bread, unsliced
â—¦ 8 thin slices fresh or smoked turkey breast
â—¦ Fresh basil leaves


Recipe

For the scallion cream cheese, combine the cream cheese and scallions in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Do not whip.

For the sandwiches, have the store slice the bread lengthwise on a meat slicer into ¼-inch-thick slices. (If that isn't possible, you can slice it crosswise with a very sharp knife.)

Lay out 8 slices of bread and spread them all with a thin layer of scallion cream cheese. Place a single layer of turkey on half the slices, cutting the edges to fit the bread.

Place the basil leaves randomly on top of the turkey. Top with the other 4 slices of bread, cream cheese side down. Lay the sandwiches on a baking sheet, and wrap the sheet with plastic. Refrigerate until the cream cheese is cold and firm. Place the sandwiches on a cutting board and, with a very sharp knife, cut off the crusts.

Cut each large sandwich in half crosswise, and then cut each half diagonally, twice, to make a total of 8 small triangles. (If the bread was cut crosswise, follow the assembly directions, then cut off the crusts and cut diagonally, twice, to make 4 small triangles.) Serve chilled.

Makes 32 sandwiches;
Serves 8 to 10



Notes:
• I use Eli's Raisin Pecan Bread.
• You can also just cut the sandwiches into fingers.