Pineapple Cream Cheese Sandwiches

If you're looking for something different and pretty to take to a party or shower these pineapple sandwiches are the thing.  They used to be quite popular in my neck of the woods but you don't see them anymore but they are so worth making.  I made these for refreshments following a Friday night gospel sing-a-long and every one disappeared.  Don was busy chatting instead of picking up his plate of goodies and by the time he got to the end of the table where these were he was just in time to see someone else take the last one off the plate. 

These open-faced sandwiches are like a cross between a sandwich and a dessert so can do double duty on a party table.  I like them made with either plain or fruit flavoured cream cheese spread but the contrast between the sweet fruit and tangy cheese is more discernible when using the plain cheese.  Either way, they are a treat to eat.  (And I'll just bet these could be made vegan using a vegan cream"cheese" spread. . . just a thought.)

This is the first time I've ever used an apricot glaze on the sandwiches and I was quite pleased with the added flavour, not to mention the nice shiny finish it gave to the fruit.  I used two or three tablespoons of apricot jam strained through a sieve.  I added a few drops of water and microwaved it for about 10-15 seconds so it would spread more easily using a silicone pastry brush.  

I used 2 cans of pineapple so I had 16 slices. Most loaves of bread have 16 slices as well, so that works out nicely.  The main thing is to use the same amount of pineapple and bread slices and cherries.  The tub of cream cheese was just barely enough for the 16 sandwiches so judge accordingly.  If you decide to make half the recipe you'll have cream cheese left over for a breakfast bagel or toast.  



Pineapple Sandwiches
16 canned pineapple rings, drained (2 -398 ml/14 fl. oz. cans)
16 slices white or whole wheat sandwich bread (about 1 loaf)
1 tub cream cheese spread, plain or fruit flavoured
16 Maraschino cherries, drained
Apricot glaze, optional (see pictures below for instructions)

Pat dry with paper toweling, the pineapple rings and cherries.

Peel the label off the pineapple can.  Wash and dry being careful not to cut your hand on the can edge.

Use as many slices of bread as pineapple slices.  Lay bread out on cutting board and using the washed and dried can cut circles from the bread.  (If you have a cookie cutter the diameter of the can, use that instead.)  Freeze bread scraps to use for stuffing or bread crumbs.

Spread the cream cheese over the bread to the edges.  You will need about 2-3 teaspoons of spread per bread circle.

Lay a pineapple slice on top of the cheese and place a cherry in middle of pineapple.  Brush with apricot glaze, if desired.

Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.  Makes 16 sandwiches.

This size can (398 ml/14 fl. oz.) contains 8 slices of pineapple.  Today I used strawberry cream cheese spread but plain or any fruit flavoured spread works equally as well.

Drain pineapple, careful not to break any of the slices.  Dry on paper toweling.

Use the cleaned and dried can as a cutter for the bread.  

Save the bread scraps for crumbs or stuffing.

Spread the cream cheese on the bread rounds as close to the edge as you can.  Today I used half white and half whole wheat bread.  Finish the sandwiches with a slice of pineapple and place a cherry in the middle.

To make the optional apricot glaze, strain apricot jam through a sieve.  You may need a few drops of water to make it spreadable.  Zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds for even easier spreading.

The sandwiches are ready without the glaze but the glaze does give them a nice shiny finish.  These cherries are really small.  If you can find larger ones they'll fill the hole much better.  

Not only pretty but delicious as well!