Sandwich spreads - a couple of sweet suggestions

Think outside the square when it comes to sandwiches; think open topped tartines; think Danish blanks for a base; think every kind of bread, cut every kind of way… think SWEET sandwiches, too!!! Dessert, brunch, afternoon tea… high teas… sweet sandwiches have a genuine place in your future. (Well, unless you are a savoury lover through and through - in which case, scroll down!)

  • summer berries sliced into a sweet pastry cream couched in a soft white bread

  • stewed rhubarb and lychees on a pastry cream base. (Pictured here topping Danish blanks and served as more of a sweet pastry option, but you define ‘sandwich’!)

  • honeydew melon in a sweet matcha cream (recipe below)

  • sweet black sesame paste (YUM) (recipe below)

Sweet Matcha Cream

0.5 cup (125ml) thickened cream
1.5 Tbsp caster (granulated) sugar)
1 Tbsp matcha powder
0.5 cup (125ml) double cream

a row of 3 Danishes topped with pastry cream, stewed rhubarb and lychees on a marble base. A pale green background

Stewed rhubarb and lychee Danishes (on a base of pastry cream). Photo and food styling by Catherene Wilson @catherenewilson

  1. Add thickened cream and sugar to a medium-sized bowl, then sift in matcha powder. Stir in gently so as not to over-whip. Mix until matcha and sugar are well incorporated.

  2. Add double cream and whip until soft peaks form.

  3. To store, place cling film directly on top of match cream and cover completely. Set aside in fridge until ready to use (up to 30 minutes).

Try it with slices of honeydew melon (seeds removed) on a soft white bread. (Honeydew and Sweet Matcha Cream recipe p84 Cult Sando)

Sweet Black Sesame Paste

1 cup (160g) black sesame seeds
2 Tbsp pure honey

  1. In a medium-sized frying pan over low-medium heat, add sesame seeds, stirring continuously, and toast until aromatic.

  2. While still warm, place in a high-speed food processor with the honey. Blitz until completely smooth.

  3. Place in an airtight container with a layer of cling film over the surface to prevent a skin forming. Place in the fridge until ready for use. Lasts up to 1 month in the fridge if stored correctly.

Oh man - Jimmy Callaway actually turns this into a black sesame icecream sando on slices of shokupan (a sweet soft Japanese white bread), layered with red bean paste. (Black Sesame Ice Cream with Red Bean recipe p77 Cult Sando)

Recipes from Jimmy Callaway’s Cult Sando; Classic and modern recipes for the popular Japanese sandwich. Harper by Design.