Ingredients:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (for spread)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (for spread)
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 12 oz English cucumber
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (for sweating cucumbers)
  • 1 lb white pullman bread
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (for barrier)

Instructions:

  1. Slice the English cucumber into thin, uniform rounds. Place the slices in a colander, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and let them sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Pat the cucumber slices aggressively between two layers of paper towels until completely dry to remove excess moisture.
  3. In a small bowl, whip together the softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped dill, salt, and pepper until smooth and airy.
  4. Lightly butter each slice of bread to create a hydrophobic moisture barrier.
  5. Spread a generous, even layer of the herbed cream cheese from edge to edge on the buttered bread.
  6. Layer the dried cucumber slices in an overlapping pattern over the spread, top with a second slice of buttered bread, remove crusts, and cut into tea sandwich shapes.