Cream Cheese and Chive Sandwiches with Edible Flowers

When I was a teenager, my sisters and I loved to plan tea parties with our friends. We would assign the courses (soup, sandwiches and salads) to each family, and everyone brought an appetizer and a dessert.

Photo taken circa 2008

We would have them about quarterly, if my memory serves me well. It was loads of fun to dress up for, and we were able to sample lots of new flavors.

Photo taken circa 2010

When I made these sandwiches a few weeks ago, it brought me right back to our tea party days: most likely because we actually made sandwiches that were very similar once. I was flooded with memories of the excitement of hosting or going to a party. And it made me want to have another one. 

Perhaps I will, when I get up the gumption. The last time I hosted a tea party it was exhausting, and that was before I had Helen...

But about these sandwiches. 

They are so simple (only five ingredients!) that it hardly seems that there could be much flavor to them. But the dearth of ingredients lets each one shine through. If you were to spread the bread with something more assertive, you would lose the subtle flavors of the flowers and herbs on top.

These are certainly tea party fare. They're fancy little sandwiches. When I brought the leftovers from the shoot to my sister's family, her little girl said, "They're so pretty I don't want to eat them!" And her little three-year-old daughter said, "I am so glad that you made those for us." It definitely helped to improve my "cool aunt" image. Though probably not so much with the boys. ;) 

Notes:

• * I'm sure you already know this, but it's best to use flowers that are free from pesticides. You never know what they might have sprayed on them if they aren't meant to be eaten.
• * Here, here, and here are lists of flowers that are edible.
• * If you want a sandwich that is a bit heartier, you can add a slice of prosciutto or ham on top of the cream cheese.

Cream Cheese and Chive Sandwiches with Edible Flowers
adapted from Grown to Cook | Print

Dainty little sandwiches, perfect for a tea party!
Serves about 6

Ingredients:
1 8-oz package of cream cheese,
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives,
1 small loaf of French bread,
fresh herbs for garnish (I used dill, chives, and mint),
fresh edible flowers for garnish (I used the Mirco Flower Blend and Nasturtiums that Marx Foods gave to me).

Instructions:

1) In a medium bowl, blend together the cream cheese and chives (a hand mixer works well for this).
2) Slice the loaf of bread on the diagonal. Spread each piece with the cream cheese mixture. Arrange the herbs and flowers on top.
3) Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for a few hours. You'll want to wait to garnish the sandwiches with the herbs and flowers until just before serving.



Also, the winner of the Marx Foods Photography Challenge has been announced: I made it to the final three (thank you to all who voted me into the finals!), but the prize goes to Manda of The Merry Thought. Go see the winning photo here. 

Many thanks to Marx Foods for providing the flowers for this post. As always, all words and opinions are my own.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Cream Cheese and Chive Sandwiches with Edible Flowers

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Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

This was originally published on August 1st, 2011 on Cooking for Seven. 

Some days, you just need a recipe that doesn’t call for fancy ingredients. You don’t have any specialty items on hand, but you still want to bake something utterly scrumptious.

This cake definitely fits the bill. A soft, cinnamon-scented batter is filled with buttery, sugary swirls. Top it off with a drizzle of maple and cream cheese frosting, and you have one delicious treat.

Notes:

The original recipe called for a powdered sugar glaze. I much prefer a less-sweet cream cheese based frosting. So I made up a recipe for drizzly maple-cream cheese frosting.

As per my usual substitutions, I used whole wheat flour in place of most of the AP flour, and maple sugar instead of brown sugar. I also added a bit of cinnamon to the cake batter to enhance the flavor. You can add pecans to the topping, but I didn’t have any on hand, so I left them out. Besides, my husband doesn’t like nuts in baked goods.

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Divine Baking | Printable Page | Makes approximately 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup maple sugar, demerara, sucanat, rapadura, or brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cups whole milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup maple sugar or sweetener of choice
• 1 tablespoons AP flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons chopped pecans, optional

For the maple cream cheese frosting:

• 4 oz. (1/4 lb.) cream cheese, softened
• 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a round cake pan.
2) In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the whole wheat flour, AP flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine the milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat into the dry ingredients until well combined. Slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3) In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, maple sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans (if using) until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonsful and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. You want to make sure it’s done.
5) Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add the maple syrup and vanilla. Add a few tablespoons of milk, if necessary, so the frosting can be drizzled. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the frosting on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

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Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream used to be such a long, tedious process for me. First, you must slave over a hot stove making custard. Then you have to wait hours for said custard to cool completely so you can churn without fear of the dreaded ice crystals. Next you need to crush some ice, layer it in the ice cream maker with salt, and you're FINALLY ready to churn. Whew. Too much work!

Then I received my ice cream maker for Christmas, and it opened up a whole new world. I discovered that you can get exceptionally good ice cream without making a custard base. No endless waiting required - simply mix the ingredients together and pour it into the machine!

But about this recipe. 

There's actually no need for a fancy machine to make this ice cream. Simply whip everything together and pour into a pan to freeze! Easy peasy. Of course I used my machine, because I love it so.

To get the recipe, head on over to the Good Life Eats blog.

See you soon!

Erica

Monday, August 12, 2013

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

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