Easy Breezy

Sometimes when you are planning a menu involving several items you need to acknowledge that you are human and cut yourself a break on at least one of them.  These strawberry preserve, cream cheese & caraway tea sandwiches are a delectably unexpected pairing that will impress your guests and spare you five moments of sanity.

This recipe is per 16 slices of seeded Rye [which should yield 8 full sandwiches, and roughly 32 finger sandwiches].

You will need:
1 package [or 16 slices] seeded Rye bread
1 jar good Strawberry Preserves [#1- the ingredients should primarily be fruit & sugar, and maybe pectin. NO HiGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP OR CORN SYRUP. #2- You will not need the entire jar, most likely 1 tsp, give or take, per full sandwich]
1/2 stick salted Butter, room temperature
1- 8 ounce package Cream Cheese or Neufchatel, room temperature

Assembly:
1. Whip or mix the cream cheese and butter together until fully incorporated.
2. Spread a thin layer of the butter & cream cheese mixture on one side of each slice of bread. It is imperative that the layer is thin because tea sandwiches & most finger foods are not designed to be sloppy and messy, they are intended to be simply neat, small bites.
3. Now dollop about a teaspoon or so of preserves on every other slice of bread.
4. Spread the preserves evenly over the bread and then sandwich with a slice of the cream cheese & butter only bread, spread-side down.
5. Once all of the sandwiches are assembled, carefully cut the crusts off using a sharp knife. Do not press the sandwich or the preserves will ooze.
6. Then cut each crustless rectangle in half, down the middle, and cut the resulting mini-sandwiches in half diagonally, creating triangles. Each "full" sandwich should yield 4 small triangles.
7. Assemble on a platter and serve!