Day #4 of Holiday Appetizers: Turkey & Basil Tea Sandwiches

Need a quick, easy and light appetizer for a crowd? These turkey and basil tea sandwiches will take you about 30 minutes to throw together and they're both darling and delicious. Get some cinnamon swirl bread, turkey, basil, make a scallion cream cheese and you're good to go. Okay, maybe it's a bit more involved than that, but I've got step-by-step directions and photos below. Enjoy!

Turkey Tea Sandwiches

Turkey Tea Sandwiches 

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Scallion Cream Cheese:

• 3/4 pound (12 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches:

• 1 loaf dense raisin-nut or raisin cinnamon swirl bread, sliced
• 8 thin slices peppered or smoked turkey breast
• Fresh basil leaves

Directions: For the scallion cream cheese, combine the cream cheese, scallions and the salt and pepper 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 1/4-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. 

Combine cream cheese, scallions, salt and pepper in electric mixer 

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Spread the scallion cream cheese on one side of the bread

Spread scallion cream cheese on the other slice of bread

Spread a layer of turkey and basil on one side of the bread

Lay the sandwiches on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, cover with damp paper towels 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.

Close the sandwich, cut off the crusts and cut into quarters

Place quarters on a parchment-lined baking sheet

Turkey Tea Sandwiches