A Surprizing Sandwich with Watkins Coconut Extract

Hi, Susan,

I invented a recipe that I thought you might want to use for your next newsletter. My sisters-in-law and I were giving a baby shower for Mary Wise, and my part was to bring the food. We decided Aram sandwiches would be great finger food, but they were too expensive to buy ready-made from the deli. I decided to make them myself. I made three different kinds of savory fillings, and decided it would be fun to make a fourth kind with a surprise filling. Visually It looks like a roll-up sandwich with a cream cheese, salami, and lettuce filling, but when you bite into it, it is a-----

Strawberry Aram Sandwich
1 eight oz package cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, softened
2 tablespoons coconut butter, warmed slightly in the microwave (optional—this ingredient is available at Whole Foods and some health food stores)
¼ teaspoon Watkins Coconut Extract
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, minced
1 large piece lavash, roughly 12 inches x 20 inches (Lavash is a soft flatbread that comes fresh in plastic bags in the bread section of some specialty stores such as Whole Foods. You can substitute large flour tortillas)
2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed, and cut into long, narrow slices
Combine softened cream cheese and coconut butter and Coconut Extract. Spread on the lavash. Sprinkle with strawberries and mint. Roll up tightly. Maybe wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours, or you may slice in ½ inch slices and serve immediately. Serves 8 as appetizer or 4 as desert.

This sandwich may be served alongside a selection of savory Aram sandwiches as a fool-the-eye surprise and conversation item, or it makes a simple and quick desert. Although it has no sugar, the strawberry and coconut flavors satisfy the sweet tooth, and the mint is wonderfully refreshing. And coconut butter is said to be heart healthy.

Enjoy!

Phoebe