Strawberry, Black Pepper & Basil Tea Sandwiches

I hosted a Nutcracker Tea Party last night before all the girls in my family went to see the Nutcracker (a tradition my girls and I started 14 years ago!)

I wanted to serve a few different tea sandwiches, but I wasn't sure which ones would be enjoyed by everyone. I came across this recipe and tested it out on some of my kids 19, 18 and 10. It passed their test - so I went for it! They were surprisingly good! I added our much loved balsamic glaze for that extra punch!

Strawberry, Black Pepper & Basil Tea Sandwiches

Soft white bread

Strawberries (sliced 1/4 thin)

Black Pepper Boursin

Fresh basil

Nona's Balsamic glaze

I was worried about the cheese tearing the soft white bread - so I let it sit out for about an hour before I used it. It spread very easily after that.

Use an offset spatula/knife to spread the cheese on both sides of the white bread. On the bottom piece of the bread, add 2 strawberries, a small piece (1/2" size) fresh basil, drizzle with balsamic glaze and top with the top piece of bread. I cut these into squares - so I got 4 sandwiches from 2 pieces of bread.

*TIPS: I made several sandwiches yesterday so I learned a few tricks to make it go a bit quicker. I cut the crusts off all the bread for the type of sandwich I was going to make first. Then - I added the spread - THEN I cut them into squares and topped them. I also wiped the knife clean when it got too goopy.

Also, after assembling the sandwiches I put a damp paper towel over them so they wouldn't dry out.

When I finished each type - I covered them with plastic wrap and refrigerated them until it was time to eat. 

Next time I think I will assemble all the sandwiches except for the Cucumber Tea Sandwiches the night before. Then I will assemble the Cucumber Tea Sandwiches just before serving.