Here are 10 suggestions of snacks and treats that would go down a storm at a New Year’s Eve party.
Smoked maple bacon sandwich
Pictured above, this bacon sandwich is made with bacon jam and thick slices of avocado. The bacon jam gets tons of flavour from the maple syrup and coffee mixture it's blended in. You should make sure you fry up your bacon for the filling so it's as crispy as it can possibly be. Make lots of bacon jam and get a big pack of bacon, then divvy up the sandwiches into quarters to make a canapé perfect for bacon addicts.
Apricot jam and stilton canapés
These canapés are the perfect mix of sweet and savoury, as the tang of the blue cheese tempers the sweet apricot jam. You can also sprinkle some chopped walnuts (or other nut of your choice) across your batch for a better texture.
You might want to use shop-bought pastry, particularly when you're making a lot of canapés at once. The idea here is to get the light bites onto the plate as soon as possible so you can relax and enjoy the celebrations.
Goat's curd crostini
Another savoury and sweet combination to make your guests' mouths water, this upmarket canapé is topped with goat's curd (feel free to use goat's cheese instead, it's easier to find), beetroot and honeycomb.
It's fast to put together, but you will need a sugar thermometer to make the honeycomb properly.
Whole baked camembert
If we had it our way, this would be at every single party we go to from now on. Take a whole round of camembert, shove it in the oven with garlic and rosemary stuffed into it, then put some crackers on a plate and let your guests dig in.
This recipe lends itself to parties, indulgent nights in with your partner, and any other occasion you can make an excuse to have it, really. After the first time you try it, you'll be finding those excuses left, right and centre.
Brandy snap cases with mousse
Brandy snaps alone are great, but Monica Galetti maks hers into cases and fills them with white chocolate mousse. We think that's brilliant, and we believe you'll agree.
You have to be careful not to burn your cases, but the mousse is very easy to make and hugely moreish. Don't expect them to last long at your party...
Crispy shallot and basil fritters
Make a big batch of these vegetarian fritters for nibbles. Use lots of basil for a really fresh flavour, and serve with houmous to dip the fritters in, as well as a salad garnish.
It's also worth making a vinaigrette from olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a touch of either Dijon or wholegrain mustard to add a bit of bite to the dressing.
Doughballs
This is one of the most visited recipes across our entire collection, and for a very good reason. They're suitable for a weekend snack or side to an Italian meal, popular with adults and kids, and we think are also brilliant at parties. They're the perfect finger food: just dip them in softened garlic butter and munch them down.
Crostini and stuffed dates
There's actually two ideas here, both by John Whaite. We paired them together as we think they complement each other quite well. The first is a simple crostini topped with mashed chickpeas and cubes of chorizo.
For the second, take sweet medjool dates and stuff them with goat's cheese. Two ideas that don't require a lot of effort, but the end results are very tasty indeed.
Caramelised onion and feta tartlets
Miniature vegetarian pastry cases filled with salty feta and sweet caramelised onions. These would definitely pair nicely with a cold beer.
Pushed for time? Buy a sheet of ready-rolled pastry instead of making your own. Oh, and make more caramelised onions than the recipe suggests... they're great reheated (in a frying pan) for the obligatory New Year's Day bacon sandwich.
Christmas shortbreads
We know that it's not Christmas any more, but think that you could get away with making these shortbreads, even if they have 'Christmas' in the title.
There are 12 excellent and very different offerings that you could make, why not pick and make two or three to give some variety to a sweet platter?
We like the sound of the 'Very Lemony Fingers' and the 'Caramel sandwiches' the most, but we wouldn't say no to any of them.
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