Neufchatel Sandwich

A sweet-savory cheese spread from the era when afternoon tea sandwiches were a genre unto themselves. The proportions are left entirely to the cook, so treat the original as a ratio sketch rather than a formula.

• The cheeseNeufchatel in American groceries is a soft fresh cheese sold in the same foil bricks as cream cheese, with a third less fat. It is not the bloomy-rind French Neufchâtel from Normandy, which would behave quite differently here. A 3 oz portion is a sensible starting point.
• Working quantitiesFor 3 oz of cheese, figure on about 1 tablespoon of finely minced candied orange peel, a pinch (1/8 teaspoon or less) of ground ginger, and 1 to 2 teaspoons of cream. That yields roughly enough for six to eight small tea sandwiches.
• "A dash of ginger"Most likely ground dried ginger, the usual spice-tin article, though the recipe does not say. Candied ginger, very finely minced, is a defensible substitution and gives more texture, but reduce the candied orange slightly so the filling does not turn cloying.
• Candied orangeCommercial candied peel is often wet and syrupy. Blot it dry before mincing, or the filling will weep into the bread.
• Cream, sparinglyThe cheese should be spreadable but still hold an edge. Add cream a half teaspoon at a time and stop while the mixture is stiff enough to mound on a knife; a loose filling soaks the crumb within minutes.
• The breadThin-sliced white sandwich bread, lightly buttered as the recipe directs. The butter here does more than flavor: it helps seal the crumb against moisture in the cheese.
• The olive garnishA whole or halved olive, presumably set on or beside the sandwich rather than in it. Its salt reads as a foil to the sweet filling.
• Holding and servingAssemble no more than an hour or two ahead, cover with a damp cloth or plastic and refrigerate, then cut just before serving. Cut into fingers or triangles for tea.