Recipe Background
Christmas Eve Sandwiches mix flaky biscuits, savory ham, and sweet apricot-mustard spread.
The allure of Christmas Eve sandwiches lies in their delightful contrast between flaky biscuits and savory-sweet fillings. As the biscuits bake, they transform into golden squares—a visual delight as satisfying as their buttery scent. These sandwiches blend the salty ham with a velvety smear of apricot and mustard, achieving a balance that dances between familiar and festive. Smoked ham adds depth that pairs beautifully with the subtle tang of apricot and mustard.
Working with cold butter creates biscuits that rise into delicate layers. A gentle knead ensures tenderness, and a light pat shapes them without toughening the dough. Serve these bites warm, and you'll find the melted cheese and crisp lettuce give every mouthful an extra layer of texture. The apricot jam's sweetness mingles with whole-grain mustard's zest, crafting a harmony that's scarcely replicated outside a cozy holiday meal.
Sharing this dish can become a cherished tradition, inviting joy and nostalgia around the table. Each bite offers something new: a mix of crunchy, juicy, and creamy. It's a dish meant to be shared, where laughter fills the air as slices of cheddar disappear and biscuits find their other halves. Such simple, satisfying fare makes for a holiday feast that nourishes both body and spirit.
Ingredients
For the ham biscuits:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, plus more for a work surface
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into pieces, plus 2 teaspoons melted
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk cold
- ham sliced, to taste
For the apricot mustard:
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
For serving:
- extra-sharp cheddar optional, sliced, for serving
- lettuce leaves optional, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Whisk together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, the sugar, and the salt in a bowl.
- Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or a fork until coarse crumbs form.
- Stir the buttermilk into the flour mixture until just combined.
- Flour a worksurface well and turn the dough out onto it.
- Knead the dough lightly 3-4 times.
- Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle.
- Cut the dough rectangle into 9 squares and transfer them to a baking sheet, placing them close together but not touching.
- Brush the dough squares with the melted butter.
- Bake the biscuits until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.
- Transfer the biscuits from the oven and allow them to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Cut the biscuits in half and add the ham.
- In a bowl, whisk together the apricot jam, the whole-grain mustard, and the Dijon mustard.
- Smear the apricot mustard over the ham slices.
- Serve the biscuits with the cheese and the lettuce.
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