Cucumber Sandwiches for Fancy Times

If you don't already know Don Perry, get ready to be smitten. The author of Short Stack, Volume 28: Cucumbers (out July 11), is the culinary director of Real Simple, one of the most beloved and proven recipe developers in the culinary world, as well as the best friend in making crispy crust. She helped us prepare Dutch pastries, muffins, scones, and a host of other breakfast and brunch staples. With this new cucumber-focused book, Perry makes pumpkin wonderfully crunchy and surprisingly nutritious, at the center and far beyond garnish status. She also helps us prepare the delicious cucumber sandwiches of our dreams. Serve them in a stack at your next Sunday Brunch and earn a reputation as the coolest host.Sweet onion and cucumber sandwiches with mustard oil I prefer to use small, thinner Persian cucumbers whenever I add them to sandwiches. Thanks to their elegant diameter, they are easy to eat in regular-sized pieces, so you won't have awkward moments when eating a sandwich. I prefer a couple of layers of very thinly sliced cucumbers to one layer of thick slices. The same goes for sweet onions. If you have a mandolin, use it for this effect.Recipe from Short Stack Vol. 28: Cucumbers are used with permission from Short Stack Editions. Follow them on Instagram @shortstackeds.
In a small bowl, mash the butter with both mustard and kosher salt until smooth. Spread a little butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Spread 4 buttered sides over the cucumbers and onions, season with finely chopped salt and a few pinches of black pepper. Brush the sandwich with the remaining 4 slices of bread, mustard-buttered side down. If you want, cut off the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 squares, rectangles or triangles. For an extra effect, cut out the shapes with cookie cutters (circles and stars are best — witches on brooms, not so much). Place the sandwiches on a platter and serve.