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Toasted Cheese Rolls
1 loaf bread 3 ounces well seasoned cheese 3 ounces cream cheese 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1/3 teaspoon salt shake of cayenne Remove crusts from the bread, cut into slices the length of the loaf. Mix cheeses with the cream and seasonings, beating well, and spread on the bread. Roll up each slice as for jelly roll, then slice 1/2 inch slices from the end. Toast quickly on both sides and serve at once.
A pinwheel canapé from the era when hostesses sliced a sandwich loaf the long way. The whole thing hinges on the bread being fresh, soft and pliable enough to roll without cracking.
- The breadThis wants an unsliced sandwich or Pullman loaf, cut lengthwise into slices about 1/4 inch thick. A day-old loaf will split as you roll it; if the bread resists, flatten each slice with a rolling pin first.
- "Well seasoned cheese"Period shorthand for a sharp, aged cheese with pronounced flavour, not a spiced or herbed one. A good aged Cheddar grated fine is the obvious choice; grate it rather than cube it so it beats smooth.
- Cream cheeseMost likely the plain, block-style cream cheese, and 3 ounces corresponds to the small package commonly sold in this period. Have it fully at room temperature or the mixture will stay lumpy.
- Beating wellThe spread should be soft enough to go on in a thin, even layer without tearing the bread. Beat the two cheeses together first, then add the cream a spoonful at a time.
- Rolling and slicingRoll from the short end so the log runs the length of the loaf. The recipe slices the log straight away, but chilling the wrapped log first gives cleaner 1/2 inch pinwheels; warm ones smear.
- "Toast quickly"A broiler set high, with the rack close, for roughly a minute a side, or a hot dry skillet. The aim is browned bread and barely melted cheese; a slow oven dries the pinwheels out before they colour.
- CayenneA shake means a pinch, well under 1/8 teaspoon. It is there for warmth behind the cheese rather than heat you can identify.
- YieldA loaf gives several lengthwise slices, and cutting 1/2 inch pinwheels from each log yields a few dozen canapes in all, depending on the size of the loaf. They must go to the table hot; they turn leathery within minutes of cooling.