I called them Christmas sandwiches for obvious reasons: just looking at them, they already bring all the festive atmosphere with them. Soft, small, and decorative, they are filled with a sun-dried tomato cream that, with its red color, immediately calls to mind Christmas and makes every bite even more inviting. Cut with tree-shaped cutters (but if you prefer you can also make stars), they become real “edible decorations,” perfect to start the festive lunch or to make a family aperitif special. Simple to make, yet scenic… don’t you think? So prepare them too and bring a touch of magic to your table.
Other tree-shaped recipes that may interest you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 25 Pieces
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for the Christmas Sandwiches
- 1 lb lbs sandwich bread
- 3.5 oz robiola cheese
- 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil (well drained)
- 0.7 oz Grana Padano cheese, grated (or Parmesan)
- Half tablespoon salted capers
- 0.5 oz tomato paste (a generous tablespoon)
- paprika (to taste)
- oregano
- salt
- mayonnaise
- 1 sun-dried tomato
- mayonnaise
- dill (or some fennel fronds)
Tools
I prepared the cream to fill these Christmas sandwiches with the Thermomix, but any other mixer will work fine.
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Cutter tree-shaped
- 1 Mixer (I used the Thermomix)
- 1 Small bowl
Preparation of the Christmas Sandwiches
Place the well-drained sun-dried tomatoes and the desalted capers in the bowl; add the robiola cheese and the grated cheese and chop (with the Thermomix: 15 seconds at speed 6). Gather the mixture in the center of the bowl and chop again (10 seconds at speed 7). Gather it again toward the center of the bowl and repeat this operation two more times. You should obtain a smooth cream. It doesn’t matter if there are a few slightly larger pieces of tomato. If the cream turns out too dense (this can depend on the tomatoes), add a teaspoon of oil (perhaps from the tomatoes themselves).
Transfer the obtained cream into a small bowl and add the tomato paste. I didn’t add it immediately in the bowl to better adjust the red shade, but if you prefer, you can blend it with the other ingredients.
Season the cream with paprika and a pinch of oregano. You can adjust the paprika to your personal taste. Stir carefully and adjust the salt, if necessary. Taste because sun-dried tomatoes and capers are already very flavorful.
Place a slice of sandwich bread on a cutting board, cover with a sheet of parchment paper and gently roll gently with the rolling pin (one or two passes at most). The bread should not be flattened but just slightly compacted. This will allow us to have cleaner edges and prevents the bread from breaking when we cut it with the cutter.
Now, using the tree-shaped cutter, cut the bread trying to make the most of the whole slice to get as many shapes as possible without waste. With the scraps, you could make homemade panko, just as I did.
Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on all the trees, then using a small spatula or the back of a teaspoon, spread the red cream only on those that will be used as a base. Finally, overlay the second shape to finish the sandwiches.
With the tip of a toothpick, put a few dots of mayonnaise here and there on the surface: this will serve as edible glue. Then place a small piece of red tomato turned into a ball on top. Finally, decorate with a few fennel fronds that will give the idea of tree branches.
Our Christmas sandwiches are ready to be enjoyed. If you prepare them in advance (and it is obvious that you will), store them well covered in the refrigerator. However, I recommend preparing them on the same day to keep them soft and fresh. Enjoy! Paola
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