Alexandra Dudley Shares 4 Easy Canapé Recipes
Ricotta Stuffed Dates With Crispy Smoked Pancetta & Hazelnuts
These are the perfect balance of salty and sweet. I love the added smokiness of the pancetta, but you can use unsmoked if you like. Prep these ahead and keep them in the fridge.
Fry off the pancetta in a frying pan until crisp then drain on a plate lined with paper towel.
Whisk the ricotta with a pinch of salt until smooth.
Use a sharp knife to make a slit in the days and remove the stone and gently pull the date to widen the cavity.
Use a teaspoon to fill the dates with the ricotta. Top with the crispy pancetta followed by the chopped hazelnuts.
If you want to get ahead, feel free to stuff the dates and keep them in the fridge. I like to sprinkle over the pancetta and hazelnuts just before serving for optimum crispiness.
Cranberry Sauce Brie Thyme Filo Tartlets
I always find there’s cranberry sauce and odd bits of brie knocking about after Christmas, and these little tartlets are a great way to jazz the leftovers up into something delicious. They make for a wonderful canapé alongside a glass of something sparkling.
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan.
Keeping your pastry covered under a damp tea towel (to keep it from drying out). Remove one sheet and brush it with the melted butter. Using scissors cut this into roughly 5cm squares.
Arrange three squares and place them on top of each other, turning them as you go so that you create almost a star effect. Place the pastry stack into the hole of the mini muffin tin and push to create a tartlet shell. Repeat until you have filled all 24 holes of the tin.
Chop the brie into 24 roughly equal-sized pieces and push into each pastry case.
Place about half a teaspoon of cranberry sauce onto each tartlet, then sprinkle a pinch of thyme leaves onto each tartlet and season with salt.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
Loaded Ricotta With Roasted Cranberries, Hazelnuts & Crispy Sage
This is an easy festive starter that takes little effort, but looks wonderful on the table – lots of red and lots of green. Crispy sage always looks impressive, but is in fact incredibly simple to make. You can find fresh cranberries at most supermarkets this time of year, though frozen will work too. Mix up the nuts if you like – walnuts also work well.
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Toss the cranberries in a glug of olive oil and roast on a parchment lined tray for 10 mins until they are soft and have slightly burst. Allow them to cool.
For the sage, add enough oil to just cover the base of a small saucepan. Add one leaf to the oil and bring to a medium heat. Once the leaf begins to sizzle, add the remaining sage leaves. Cook for just 10 seconds and drain with a fork onto a paper towel-lined plate. Allow the oil to cool.
In a bowl, whisk the ricotta with a good pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. Spoon onto a serving plate. Drizzle over some of the sage infused oil. Spoon over the cranberries. Sprinkle over the hazelnuts, another pinch of salt and top with the crispy sage.
Serve with thick slices of toasted sourdough for dipping.
Brandy Butter Mince Pie Filo Cigars
A lighter, crunchier twist on a mince pie, I like to serve these during ‘Betwixmas’ for something a little different. Once the Christmas pudding has been eaten, there’s usually some brandy butter knocking about, and this is a great way to stretch it further. Feel free to use standard butter if you prefer.
Preheat oven to 180°C Fan and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
Cut the filo sheets into roughly 12cm squares. Keep them under a damp tea towel to stop them drying out.
Melt the brandy butter and butter in a saucepan.
On a clean surface, brush one sheet of filo with the melted brandy butter, then top with another layer of filo.
Put a teaspoon of mincemeat in a thin line diagonally across the square. Fold the pastry over, forming a triangle, then roll from the mince pie filled edge to the corner. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining filo.
Brush the remaining brandy butter over the cigars and bake for 12-15 minutes until crisp and golden. Don’t worry if they leak a little – this is where you’ll find the caramelised, chewy bits. Allow them to cool on the tray, then dust with icing sugar before serving.
For more from Alexandra, follow her @ALEXANDRADUDLEY or visit ALEXANDRADUDLEY.COM
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