As a mom, I have a daily routine that revolves around the children. One of these daily activities involves packing their lunch for when they go to school. And sometimes, instead of stuffing their bread with jam and wrapping it up as a lunch sandwich, I like to shake things up a bit.
I’ll have to thank my Japanese brethren for this innovation because now instead of the usual sandwich of bread and hams or jams, I can now prepare something new for the kids, fruit sandwiches!
What Are Fruit Sandwiches?
Simply put, it’s a sandwich filled with fresh fruits and whipped cream between two slices of Japanese milk bread known as shokupan. While the bread is fluffy, pillowy and all, it is the filling that steals the show.
How Do I Make The Creamy, Fresh Fruit Sandwiches?
The ingredients are very easy to get. All you need are: Japanese milk bread, strawberries, kiwi and some berries, whipped and heavy cream.
INSTRUCTIONS:
To Prepare Fruits:
- Remove the core of strawberries.
- Cut off both ends and peel the skin of the kiwis.
- Cut off both ends of the navel orange. Remove the peel.
To Make Whipped Cream
- Prepare a large bowl of iced water and place a medium bowl inside the larger bowl to keep cool. Make sure the bowl is clean and dry. Add the heavy whipping cream and start whisking on low speed.
- Once bubbly, add sugar and rum (if you are using) and start whisking on medium-high speed.
- The cream will be thicker as you whip.
- When you lift the whisk out of the cream and shows peaks, remove the bowl from the ice bath and switch to a hand whisk. Whisk until you achieve the right consistency. Check the consistency of the whipped cream as you whisk. It should be spreadable but not runny because it goes between the sandwich bread.
- Now spread the whipped cream on both sides of the sandwich bread. If there is any leftover whipped cream, you can dip your fruits or make Fruit Parfait.
- Only on one side of the sandwich bread, align the fruits. I plan to cut the sandwich diagonally. Think carefully about how you want to show your cross section. I recommend taking a picture of the alignment of the fruits and don’t change the orientation of the sandwich.
- Put the whipped cream to fill in any gap between fruits.
- Put the second slices of sandwich bread over the fruits, facing the whipped cream side down.
- Prepare plastic wrap, large enough to wrap the sandwich tightly from all four sides. Remember, don’t change the orientation of the sandwich.
- Mark the cross section over the plastic wrap with a pen.
- Put the sandwiches between plates and refrigerate for at least one hour (up to overnight). In Japan, putting weight on the sandwich is a pretty standard method prior to cutting in half.
- Open the plastic wrap and cut the sandwich in half diagonally with a clean knife. Keep it closed (Don’t open the sandwich to show cross section yet). Clean the knife with a hot wet towel before each cut.
- Gently press down the sandwich and cut off the 4 edges.
- Now the cross section is revealed for the first time!
Serve immediately. If you plan to transfer the sandwich, make sure to keep it chilled all times.
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POSTED IN: FOOD · TAGGED: HEALTHY SNACKS, LUNCH IDEAS FOR KIDS, SANDWICH IDEAS