Week 6 - w/b 10 December
| Published: 11th December 2007 11:02 |
Canapés, that word makes me cringe, I immediately think of either those fiddly elaborate creations of the 80's balance on wafers or 70's bad taste classic cheese and pineapple on a stick. But call canapés anti pasti or tappas and suddenly you have a more favourable response. My idea of a canapé is something that can be eaten in one bite without cutlery, that will not spoil the taste of your drink and that can be easily prepared. My absolute favourite is the palmiers we prepared and froze in week four, they are so versatile they can be paired with dips, used as a base for a canapé or just nibbled at on their own. I also like to have a selection of spiced nuts, black and green olives and mixed dried fruit in small bowls scattered around the room, little hits of flavour either spicy, sweet or salty. For a booze absorbing starchy dish try Arancini, Italian risotto fritters, hot and flavourful full of wonderfully melting cheese. Also remember its Christmas try and work in festive treats like Brie and cranberry crostini or warming Mini Welsh rarebit bites. I do like a cheese board with biscuits and sausage rolls, it's Christmas after all. I find deserts at parties a bit of a bind, I always used to do trifle which is ok but now I put out a great Italian Christmas treat or sweet dried fruits called Panforte, and Spanish Turron which is hard nougat with almonds sandwiched between rice paper. Cut them into bite sized pieces and there's no need for plates, dishes or spoons. You can make Panforte and Turron, but hey you've done everything else buy them!
See our quick canapé recipes.
To make your Christmas party go with a bang why not try serving cocktails, they make a great change from wine and beer. I always make a jug of each cocktail and let people help themselves. You can go classic, innovative or themed. You can add extra flavour to your cocktails by using the flavoured spirits we made in week 3. As this will be my second (not successive though, I may add) Christmas that I will spend being pregnant and therefore tee total for, I have included non-alcoholic recipes too. Non-alcoholic cocktails can be as flavourful and exciting as alcoholic ones and a little more exciting than Sparkling mineral water.
See our Alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail recipes.
Bûche de Noël or Chocolate chestnut log is one of my favourite Christmas time treats, the using chestnut puree rather is not only more traditional but also lighter than an all chocolate log. Now as you may have gathered from my previous recipes I'm not over keen on complicated processes or neatness, so don't be alarmed if you're thinking I could never roll up a Swiss roll which is essentially what the basic cake is, because you cover it in chocolate and cream! So if it cracks no one will ever know. This is also a flourless chocolate sponge so it is suitable for those with wheat allergies.
Brandy butter is remarkably simple to make and it keeps really well in the fridge, making it ahead means there's just one less job to do nearer Christmas. You can have Rum, Calvados, Cointreau or Cherry brandy butter it's a matter of taste. What I will say is it is imperative that you taste as you are making it, but remember if you're serving it cold with a mince pie the alcohol will be less intense than when you are mixing it at room temperature. There is nothing worse than a brandy butter that makes your eyes water, it just spoils a good mince pie, making the Brandy butter in advance means you can tweak it if it's not to your taste. The quantities in the recipe I have given make a rather mild Butter, and no one has complained thus far. If you do not drink alcohol or just fancy something different leave out the spirits and add Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Mace for a spicy alcohol free alternative.
See our Brandy Butter recipe.
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