2020 COCKTAIL SNACKS & BUFFETS

At last....Happy New Year!

MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION HAS APPEARED ELSEWHERE

We're heading into the home stretch as far as entertaining goes.  Just New Year's Eve and Day...and it's into abstemious January.  

For the moment, the focus in most households is on easy prep, make-ahead canapés using up leftovers...oh, and, really delicious and appetising offerings which everyone will enjoy in the final days of the holiday.

If you're actually producing a meal before or  on New Years Day, keep it light.  One or two slices of a meaty main course accompanied by lots of salads: raw and cooked vegetables, punchy dressings preferably low in fat, a choice of several different types of money-saving potato salads.  Lots of rolls and bread, lots of cheeses and cold cuts, lots of pickles, chutneys, spreads.  And a few last-festive-meal spectacular creamy desserts plus plenty of fruity offerings.  

Whatever you do, spread the burden.  Get the family involved.  

But enjoy the last few days before heading back to the usual routine.

Happy New Year!

NEW FROM 2020

Sausage, Onion & Dijon-Maple Mini Yorkshires: vegetarians & carnivores

Double Salmon Pate on Cucumber Slices: brilliant combo of creamy & crunchy

Levant Lamb Mini-Skewers & Tahini Mint Dip: British lamb but not as we know it

SIMPLE EASY STARTERS

EGG NOG TRUFFLES: sensational; quick & easy but oh-so indulgent

Gorgeous companions to Eggnog or Irish coffee...

updated 14 Dec 2021

Unforgettable, amazing mouthfuls of wonderfulness!

These egg-nog truffles* are the perfect treat after Christmas dinner.  OR for singletons stuck alone at home on Christmas Eve nursing a 'damn it; I'm going to treat myself' indulgence with Irish Coffee or Eggnog or thick steaming hot chocolate.

The recipe is simplicity itself, especially if you already have 67's home-made Egg Nog on hand. If not, just make sure the egg nog you do have does not contain raw eggs. 

For the white chocolate, 67 splurged on Belgium white chocolate buttons** but any supermarket white baking chocolate is fine,

During 67's first trial, the results - though fabulously creamy, boozy and melt-in-the-mouth - were fragile and softened very quickly.  Attempts to coat the truffles in chocolate were a disaster.  So, in the end, the truffle base was cut into small squares and served along with the shards.  If using this method, keep the truffles as cold as you can before serving and offer plenty of serviettes.

This year, the truffles are being made in advance and frozen, then coated in chocolate half an hour before serving. 

Cost: £3'ish
Serves: 24 pieces (doubles easily)

Ingredients: 

113gm/4 oz softened butter

119gm/4.2oz white baking chocolate (not white chocolate bars)

90ml eggnog

1.5 tablespoons bourbon, rum, brandy or whiskey OR a non-alcohol cordial or white grape juice (opt)

1 teaspoon vanilla (or, for a change, essence of caramel***)

   

Topping:

   100gm/7 oz white or dark baker's chocolate melted 

   a few tablespoons of coconut or finely chopped nuts

   

Method:

EGG NOG: BIG Indulgence

Egg Nog - the boozy, creamy, eggy, sweet North American staple - makes an appearance annually at Canadian Christmases...

Creamy, boozy festive Eggnog with Sophisticated Coffee Butter Cookies

...and is one of the Blogger's favourite alcoholic drinks -- and there aren't many.  Though it's been years since I've imbibed - the English aren't really into it and it has a great deal (!) of cream - this year, it's firmly on the festive menu.

We need cheering up, and a glass of Egg Nog of an evening as Christmas creeps closer is one of the best ways 67 can offer.  (Also, dairy products are back on the blogger's menu due to a Vitamin D deficiency requiring supplements and increased intake of foods high in Vitamin D) 

The recipe offers both liquid and solid forms of egg nog: the rich, eggy, creamy boozy drink* tempered by the warm sweetness of nutmeg AND the white truffle candy (elsewhere in this post)** made with egg nog and/or coffee.  

67's opted to make egg nog from scratch - it's not hard - but heated the mix for maximum safety.  (Some egg nogs contain raw eggs; always check.) A little more time is involved but the result is truly awesome.  And it makes for an easier mind if older folk are imbibing.

There is no way around the heavy cream content unless you have tried and liked plant creams but 67 didn't want to risk it this time with booze involved.  Still, there is no reason why this recipe wouldn't work with plant milks. 

Traditional recipes include bourbon; 67's kitchen didn't have any and subbed in brandy.

Cost: £4'ish

Makes: 1 litre

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

50gm/1.7oz sugar

300ml whole milk 

200ml double/heavy cream

 

1 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh if possible 

150ml bourbon or rum  

Method:

SOPHISTICATED MOCHA BUTTER COOKIES: easy-peasy but not kid-friendly

Cookies created for an adult palate; richly chocolate with deep, dark overtones of coffee...

Simple, unadorned but sophisticated flavours

67 prefers them plain or decorated with just a little high-cocoa content white chocolate.  

They need to be appreciated for what they are: crisp, richly textured and elegant layered flavours.

They're not for kids so it's probably wise to have something similar but sweet for them.  Try Bottom of the Barrel Shortbread, replacing 20gm/3/4oz of the flour with cocoa.

Cost: £1.50'ish

Makes: 12-16

Ingreds:

113gm/oz unsalted butter

25gm icing sugar

20gm/4/5oz granulated sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

25 gm/1oz unsweetened cocoa

1/2tsp instant coffee mixed with 1/2 tsp hot water

122gm/4.3oz flour

Method:

VEGETARIAN RED WINE GRAVY, vegan option

 Another Vegetarian Gravy from 67goingon50, this one rich with red wine...

Red wine and lentils give the gravy the 'amazing, really unusual' qualities.

67's Classic Vegetarian Gravy (with vegan option) has become a favourite over recent years as Christmas cooks balance carnivore and vegetarian/vegan appetites.

This year, a vegetarian red wine gravy was on the menu to go with the bosky, savoury Christmas main course Festive Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Dome.

67 is not a great fan of red wine and it was difficult working on the Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy.  But the balance of flavours was rather delicious in the end, and did not reek of red wine.  A decent wine is obviously a pre-requisite; even better if you have an unfinished bottle somewhere.  

The blog's tasters - two mature middle-aged men who are not teetotallers - loved it. 

Cost:£2.50, depending on what's in the wine store

Serves: a decent amount

Ingredients:

1 med red onion, finely chopped

1 peeled celery stick, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, grated

125ml red wine (vegan wine for vegans)

35 gm red lentils, soaked in boiling water 30 mins & drained

1 tbsp vegetarian stock granules

350 ml water or stock

1/2-1 tb Dijon or Wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp cranberry sauce

shot of brandy or whiskey

zest of half a large orange

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives  

Method:

FESTIVE VEGETARIAN PATE & MUSHROOM DOME; Vegetarian indulgence with vegan options

Rich,warming scrumptious vegetarian Christmas pie but still lower-fat and wholesome...includes Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

 Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Pie, with option for Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

'Fantastic! Meat eaters would not be disappointed. The Gravy was unusual and amazing.' Tasters

This rich delectable meat-free pie is perfect for the Christmas table.  It offers two layers of fabulousness - a crunchy terrine of toasted walnuts and onions, topped with exotic and chestnut mushrooms sautéed in brandy.  

Supermarket puff or shortcrust pastry envelopes the duo, and the whole is topped off with lashings of vegetarian gravy with red wine.   

It will go perfectly with the usual elements of Christmas dinner dinner - roasties, sprouts and cranberry sauce.

A culinary jewel like this does not come simply and indeed, involves three stages  stretched over a couple of days at most.  The steps however are simple and easily completed.  

Cost: without Red Wine Gravy but incl 1 sheet all-butter pastry £7'ish

Feeds: 3-4

START THIS RECIPE A DAY AHEAD

Ingredients/Method for each stage:  

Stage 1: Vegetarian Pate

1 cups pecans or walnuts (nb nut pieces are cheaper than whole halves) 

1 boiled egg, cooked as below (opt)

1 cup raw yellow onion in small dice

          1/2 tb each olive oil and butter OR 1 tb oil 

1/2 tb soy sauce

1/4 tsp cider or white vinegar

1 med cloves garlic, grated

1/2 tb olive or sesame oil, or half and half

2-4 tbsp oatmeal 

1/4 tsp dried sage

          1/8 tsp mace (opt)

           1/8 tsp sumac or zest of a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

          scant tablespoon stock (granules are fine)

       1 tbsp fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

          1 tablespoons wholegrain mustard (sweeter) OR Dijon mustard

          generous tablespoon cranberry sauce (your own or store-bought) 

       1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs (you might not use all of them)

Method:

LIGHT GINGERBREAD SHEET CAKE WITH BLUEBERRIES & GINGER: Indulgence, cake is butter-free

Love the flavour of gingerbread but not sure about conventional sticky heavy gingerbread cakes? 

Light gingerbread cake with cream cheese icing, blueberries & candied ginger
'the yummiest you've ever made!' '...so delicious, I ate it all in one go!' Tasters

Try this delectable new cake from 67goingon50*.  It's full of the flavours of dark sugar and molasses, with layers of gorgeous spices.  Frosted with fluffy cream cheese icing and studded with fresh blueberries and candied ginger, the cake is sure to please a crowd.

67's gingerbread cake is not as intense as a normal gingerbread; the texture is fluffier, finer crumbed and less sticky. There is an option for more spice.  But, just as it is, the cake is light and refreshing -- like an oasis among the many rich and densely flavoured items on offer during the festive season or at Halloween. 

The recipe makes a great deal of batter - enough for a three-tier cake.  67 recommends using about 2/3 of a cup of the batter for cupcakes (to keep the kids happy while the finished product sits in the fridge awaiting guests.)  

The cake does cost a little more than a standard cake but it is for a crowd.

Offer different sized portions for all appetites
 

Cost: min £5'ish, depending on the cupboard

Makes: up to 30 small portions

Ingredients: 

150 ml full fat milk

4 tablespoons black treacle

  

375 gm/13.2 oz plain flour (or 67's choice 275gm white +100gm self-raising  brown flour)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 teaspoons baking soda

275gm/9.7oz light brown sugar

          100gm/3.5 muscovado (black) sugar 

min 1.5-max 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

          2 tsp grated ginger (opt)

min 1-max 2 tsp ground ginger

min 1/4-max 1/2 tsp cloves

          min 1/4-max 1/2 tsp nutmeg (opt)

 

225 ml vegetable oil

300 ml buttermilk 

Three large eggs, slightly beaten

3 tablespoons rum/brandy (opt)

1.5  teaspoons vanilla

          2 tablespoons syrup from jar of ginger in syrup 

 

Icing 

125 gm/4.4oz slightly salted butter 

300 gm/10.5oz icing sugar

150 gm/5.2oz full fat cream cheese

1 tsp caramel (or vanilla) extract 

2 generous handfuls blueberries

          2-3 balls of candied ginger from syrup in small pieces 

      

Method:

CREAMY PINEAPPLE PUDDING (opt for multiple layers), frugal, lower-fat, easy-peasy

Simple fresh fruit dessert with creamy topping and knockout glaze ups the 'Wow!' factor'...

Frugal, lower fat, easy dessert that tastes like a million pounds!

Don't think you can afford a luxury dessert this Christmas? Think again.

Creamy Pineapple Pudding is gloriously velvety with an unexpected smoky glaze;   fruitlets of pineapple add ginger undertones and sweet Christmassy warmth.  

You only need a few ingredients: fresh pineapple (or tinned, if you must), thick yoghurt, a bit of orange juice, a little fresh ginger and black (or brown) sugar. (You can, if you like, replace pineapple with berries or bananas; see Tips below)

Tinned pineapple in juice, not syrup, and dried ginger will be okay in a pinch.

67 used one of the inexpensive ripen-at-home pineapples found in many  supermarkets, costing just 65pence.  Plenty of other pineapples are

available for a pound.   They have to be peeled and baked but simple instructions are here.  

(Supersweet, ready-to-eat, top of the line pineapples are around £3.)

O-fat Greek yoghurt doesn't normally break the bank but if you're really skint, a  cheap-as-chips tub of plain unsweetened yoghurt, if strained overnight in a sieve lined with a clean j-cloth/towel, will achieve the right consistency and sweet tang. 

(See how at the bottom of the page Salad Dressings).

Cost: £1.50'ish, depending on cost of pineapple

Feeds: 3-6

Ingredients:

3/4 medium pineapple

zest & juice of 1 orange

1 generous teaspoon peeled, grated ginger

1 scant tablespoon muscavado/black sugar

500gm thick unsweetened plain yoghurt

1 tablespoon muscovado sugar per pudding

Method:

FESTIVE FISH PIE WITH WHITE WINE SAUCE

An alternative - or supplementary - Christmas main course...Luxury Fish Pie

Festive Fish Pie with Lettuce Wedges & Thousand Island Dressing
'Lovely & creamy; the wine makes it very festive.'

Whether you splurge on fresh fish or opt for supermarket frozen mixed fish, this gorgeous fish pie will please guests at any festive table. 

It's the sauce that makes the pie so lovely  - enlivened with white wine and unctuous with cream (single or whipping cream for fat-phobics). 

67 loves the pie's versatility -- it can be topped with a snow-like layer of mashed potatoes, puff pastry (home-made or store bought) or (pictured) golden croutons, crispy & crunchy, one side bathed in white wine sauce.

Cost: min £6.50'ish

Feeds: 2-4

Ingredients:

White Wine Sauce

30gm/1 generous oz butter or half butter/half olive oil

1 med onions finely diced

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/2 small fennel (or 2 sticks peeled celery), in small dice 

3 tb flour

2 tb Dijon mustard

1/2 cup good stock (fresh pref but granules are fine)

1 generous glass white wine

250ml single or (lowest fat) whipping cream 

2 tb coarsely chopped parsley

1 tb coarsely chopped dill (opt)

450gm/15.8oz mixed fish: cod, haddock, salmon in large bite sized pieces

generous handful shrimp (opt)

1.5 tsp lemon zest

1.5 tbsp lemon juice

Croutons:

225gm/8oz stale sourdough or other bread, in 1.5 inch cubes

2 tb good olive oil

Method:

EASY CHRISTMAS DINNER: prep ahead; one-stop, indulgence, beginners

Delightful meal that cooks itself on Christmas Day... 

Lightly spiced roast chicken; baked white & sweet potatoes; mixed veg  
 Extras: pineapple dessert & pull-apart fan rolls 

A tender, moist delicately spiced chicken baked with all the trimmings at the same time, in the same oven, won't disappoint on Christmas Day...and leaves Cook relaxed and satisfied.

Choose one of two flavours - rich Smoked Paprika and Orange or exotic 5-Spice & Orange - the citrus overtones accentuate festivities.  They're both subtle - neither gets in your face - and will be suitable for the very young or the very old.  

The one-stop operation is made very easy and simple on the day by preparing everything in advance.  Get it right and all you'll have to do is turn on the oven, keep track of timings and baste the bird occasionally.

Add-ons like Pineapple pudding with Black Sugar Glaze and Pull-Apart Sour Cream Fan Rolls can be made and completed two days before (though angst can be avoided by making the rolls a week or so ahead and frozen - see below).  

As always, choose the best chicken you can afford but whatever you choose, spice rubs enhance flavour.  67 made this with a higher welfare chicken (£7'ish - 11/2022) and an organic chicken (£20'ish - 11/2202) - both terrific.

Cost: depends on ingredients - say, £7-£20 (Nov 2022)

Feeds: 4-6

Ingredients:

One good-sized raw chicken

EITHER:

Smoked Paprika Orange Butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

40gm/1.5oz softened butter 

1 teaspoon garlic powder or three medium cloves garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Zest and wedges from 1 medium oranges

           

Paprika Glaze 

2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

2 tablespoons orange juice

OR

5-Spice Hoisin Butter:

40gm/1.5oz softened butter 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 tsp five spice powder 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or two medium cloves garlic
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated  peeled ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Zest and 1-2 membrane-free segments from 1 Orange

   

Five spice glaze:

2 tablespoon hoisin sauce 

2 tablespoon orange juice

TURKEY-FREE CHRISTMAS DINNERS

STOCK PHOTO: JO COOKS 

This year, many households are opting to forgo turkey, mostly because of the limited size of gatherings ...

67's won't be one of them.  Turkey wherever the Blogger is, is traditional and much-loved.  And while the Christmas table may not hold a full-sized turkey, some kind of turkey joint - leg or wing - will be served in all its glory.

The usual alternative to the Big Bird is Chicken but guinea fowl and capon are also served.  Or offer the usual pork, beef, lamb and fish dishes as well as vegetarian or vegan delights.

If the household still has a hankering for turkey but the budget is tight, keep your eye out for frozen turkeys.  They can be good value but do need time - a lot of time, sometimes a couple of days - to defrost.  Try soaking it overnight in water to help along the process.  Place the bird in a sealed waterproof bag and the bag in a preferably new clean bin filled with water; store in a cool place (garage - watch out for thieves! - utility or storage room).  

Some market stalls sell turkey wings and legs but they go very fast.

Whatever you choose for your festive meal/s, buy the best you can afford.  If organic is out of the question, some higher welfare meats are a good third cheaper than organic.  Even common-all-garden supermarket meat is good value, and presented in a non-traditional way, provides an attractive crowd-pleaser for the table.  

Some ideas below:

 

CHICKEN

Corn-fed birds are a great alternative to organic and cost about half the price.  

This week's post - Easy Christmas Dinner - offers a choice of two rubs, one rich with paprika and orange, the other with orange, 5-spice  and hoisin.  Either steeps any chicken with rich flavour.

Also try: