Burrata Tea Sandwiches

Burrata is one of my absolute favorite cheeses. I first discovered it in a local Italian restaurant; it came in an appetizer dish that was the softest, juiciest ball of burrata on crisp arugula, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Divine! Bite-sized portions of burrata can make excellent tea sandwiches that are a treat for any season, even rainy day tea parties. 

About Burrata

You might be wondering, what is burrata? This delightfully soft Italian cow milk cheese originates in the region of Puglia and is made from mozzarella and cream. Its outer casing is thick but tender and the inside is filled with clotted cream and stracciatella (a combination of mozzarella shreds and fresh cream). 

Once the outside casing has been sliced open, the insides spill out, making it a wonderful cheese to scoop up with fresh bread or crackers.

Burrata translated from Italian means “buttered” so you know it’s going to be rich and creamy. Its lightly salted insides give the creamy texture the perfect taste accent.

Crafting a Tea Sandwich

Because burrata is so very creamy, you can expect your tea sandwiches to be delightfully squishy, in a good way. You know, the kind of sandwich where, when you bite into it, all of the insides escape the bread that was holding it together.

A lovely compliment to burrata is a salty pesto spread, fresh or premade. Pesto is a flavorful paste made from fragrant basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and a hard cheese like shredded Pecorino cheese blended with olive oil.

For a beautiful color compliment, slice a fresh tomato into thin slices. I adore an heirloom tomato for the funky shapes and unique colors. You’ll only use a small portion of the slice so they don’t need to be symmetrical in any way.

As for what type of bread to use, I would recommend a sourdough, French bread, or even a simple white bread. Whichever type you choose, I recommend slathering your spread on two slices and then pressing the spread sides together. Then, trim the crusts from your bread and portion them into bite sizes.

Peel the paired slices apart and finish compiling the remaining ingredients in small, individual servings. 

Other ingredient ideas for burrata tea sandwiches that would play very tasty supporting roles are prosciutto and arugula.

Prosciutto can be stringy, so again, using bite size portions that can be popped in the mouth is ideal.  The arugula can be chopped finely and sprinkled on top of the burrata, or simply place a couple of leaves over the cheese and prosciutto.

I had pepperoni on hand so I used that in my tea sandwich and it was a delicious taste combination. 

Tea Pairing

A tea that I would love to pair with my burrata tea sandwiches is the Vista Blend herbal tea. This tea highlights flavors that are very complimentary to cheese: delicate honey, fragrant lavender, and bright apricot. 

The fruit and floral companions create a calming tea drinking experience. It encourages us to slow down and enjoy the present moment.

Sweet Side

To continue the Italian theme, you might consider serving a sweet treat after your tea sandwiches, or alongside them. I absolutely love a lemon ricotta cookie and this recipe is delight to the tastebuds.

Ricotta cookies are known for being pillow-soft, and the texture is closer to bread than a dense cookie. The zest of the lemon peel blended into the dough gives just the right amount of lemon flavor from the inside, while the lemon juice and powder sugar glaze provides the perfect topping to each small cookie. 

These will surely be some of the most taste-tantalizing treats on your party tray, so give these burrata tea sandwiches a try with your friends and family. Paired with a hot or iced tea (for those who love iced tea in the cold weather), they are a not-to-miss option that will surely please any cheese-loving guest.