Cucumber Canapés with Lemon-Pepper Aïoli
 
Yield: 12 canapés • Preparation: 25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 slices firm white sandwich bread
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 English cucumber
  • Garnish: lemon curls
Instructions
  1. Using a 1½-inch round cutter, cut 12 shapes from bread, discarding scraps. Cover with damp paper towels to keep from drying out while working, or place in a resealable plastic bag. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper, and salt for aïoli, whisking to blend. Transfer aïoli to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (Wilton #10). Refrigerate until needed.
  3. Using a mandoline or a sharp paring knife, cut 12 thin slices of cucumber.
  4. Pipe a dot of aïoli onto 1 bread round. Top with a cucumber slice. Top with another dot of aïoli. Repeat with remaining bread rounds, aïoli, and cucumber slices.
  5. Garnish with lemon curls, if desired.
  6. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make-ahead Tip: Aïoli can be made a day in advance and refrigerated in a covered container. Bread rounds can be cut a day in advance and stored in a resealable plastic bag. Lemon curls can be made earlier in the day and stored between damp paper towels in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator until needed. Canapés can be assembled earlier in the day, covered with damp paper towels, and refrigerated in an airtight container. Garnish just before serving.

Kitchen Tip: To make lemon curls, use a channel knife to remove long strips of lemon peel from lemons. Wind lemon peel around a narrow drinking straw to form curls, then snip to desired size. You can also put lemon peel strips in ice water, and they will curl naturally.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/cucumber-canapes-lemon-pepper-aioli-recipe/