Christmas Tree Sandwiches, Christmas Appetizers
CHRISTMAS TREE SANDWICHES an idea for a simple and quick appetizer perfect for Christmas Eve or Christmas lunch, to serve during the aperitif or to enrich a buffet of appetizers.
They are made with white sandwich bread, but you can also use classic crustless white bread, cut with a triangular (or star-shaped) cookie cutter of various sizes and then assembled to resemble a tree.
Once cut, you can fill the Christmas Tree Sandwiches as you like: in this version, I used a Salmon and Spreadable Cheese Mousse, but you could also spread them with a Mortadella Mousse, some black olive pâté, Genoese Basil Pesto mixed with creamy cheese, or even some Pâté de Foie Gras.
If you want to keep it simple, you can rely on the classic and timeless ham and cheese and mayonnaise; whatever filling you choose, it will be a success. Just be careful not to use fillings that are too moist as they would make the bread crumble.
These Christmas Tree Sandwiches, funny and tasty, will win over your guests and become the most appreciated appetizer ever.
A recipe that, besides being easy and quick, does not require any particular tools or skills in the kitchen: simple cookie cutters and a bowl for the filling and it has the added advantage of being able to be prepared in advance, put in the fridge, and taken out when needed.
Below you will find more ideas for easy and quick appetizers for the Christmas Buffet
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6/8
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 217.73 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.77 (g) of which sugars 2.34 (g)
- Proteins 11.88 (g)
- Fat 10.69 (g) of which saturated 0.55 (g)of which unsaturated 0.74 (g)
- Fibers 1.31 (g)
- Sodium 760.85 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 75 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 6 slices sandwich bread
- 8 oz smoked salmon
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 8 oz spreadable cheese
- lemon zest (1/2 teaspoon)
- lemon juice (1 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon chives (chopped)
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch black pepper (ground)
Tools
- Bowl
- Cookie Cutter
Steps
To make these Christmas Tree Sandwiches, you need cookie cutters in triangular or star shapes of various sizes (I used this one).
First, prepare the filling. Cut the smoked salmon first into strips, then into fairly small cubes, and set it aside. Put the spreadable cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt in the food processor, blend until smooth and homogeneous.
At this point, fold the salmon and dill into the cheese mixture, stirring with a spoon until combined. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper if necessary. If you are not using the Salmon Mousse immediately, store it in the fridge.
Ready to create the Christmas Tree Sandwiches? Place the sandwich bread slices on a worktop and cut out 4/5 shapes (star or triangle) of various sizes with the cookie cutter set.
Spread a generous layer of filling on each triangle, then, starting with the largest at the bottom, stack the smaller ones on top. Secure the trees with a toothpick and use salmon scraps to place on top. The Christmas Tree Sandwiches are ready to be served.
VARIATIONS
In this recipe, we filled the sandwiches with Salmon Mousse, but you can also substitute it with Mortadella Mousse, Olive Pâté, Salami and Mayonnaise, Genoese Basil Pesto mixed with creamy cheese, or even Pâté de Foie Gras.
NOTES
If you have leftover Salmon Mousse, here are some ideas on how to use it: spread on crostini or bagels; served in a bowl with crackers, breadsticks, or crudités; on a slice of whole wheat bread for an extra savory breakfast; or in a chic version inside small glasses with crumbled crackers at the bottom to simulate a savory cheesecake.
SALMON AND PHILADELPHIA MOUSSE WITH BIMBY
To prepare the Salmon and Philadelphia Mousse with the BIMBY, you will need: 7 oz smoked salmon, 4.5 oz Philadelphia or another spreadable cheese, 1 oz of butter, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, a pinch of ground black pepper. METHOD: Put the smoked salmon cut into pieces in the Bimby bowl and set it to 15 sec. speed 7. Add the spreadable cheese (Philadelphia), softened butter, a pinch of pepper, and lemon juice, and set speed 5 for 20 sec. Your Salmon and Philadelphia Mousse is ready.
STORAGE
You can prepare the Smoked Salmon and Philadelphia Mousse 1 day in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
Prepare the Christmas Tree Sandwiches a few hours in advance if you want to get ahead, cover them with damp paper towels so they stay soft and don’t dry out, and keep them in the fridge. Half an hour before serving, take them out of the fridge so the Salmon Mousse becomes creamy again and not too firm.
