Throwing a holiday party at your home can be a combination of fun and stressful—having to juggle socializing with your guests and tending to the kitchen duties. Here’s a quick guide to three simple holiday recipes you can easily whip up that will impress your guests and also leave time for you to mingle!
Toasted Gruyere and Cranberry Cups
This quick snack will go great with mulled wine, combining the comfort of melted gruyere and the tartness of cranberry. There’s nothing cozier than a home that smells like freshly-baked pastries, after all.
Recipe Ingredients:
-10 ounces of fresh or frozen cranberries
-¼ cup of sugar
-½ a teaspoon of orange zest
-¼ cup of orange juice
-4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
-1 cup of gruyere cheese, grated
-48 pre-baked hors d’oeuvre cups or frozen phyllo cups
-2 tablespoons of chives, chopped
Recipe Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, lining a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cook the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Mix the grated gruyere and cream cheese in a bowl with a spatula until smooth.
4. Put the cups on the baking sheet. Spoon one teaspoon of the cranberry sauce into each cup, then top with one teaspoon of the cheese. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the cups are crisp and the cheese is slightly-browned. Garnish with the chopped chives before serving.
Photo credit to: KANA OKADA
Caesar Salad Spears
This simple and elegant salad finger food negates the need for a fork, bringing one-bite freshness to your holiday appetizer spread. Put this dish together in three steps and less than an hour, and you can even pre-make the salad dressing ahead of time.
Recipe Ingredients:
-¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
-7 Belgian endives
-½ teaspoon of lemon zest, finely-grated
-3 anchovy filets, mashed
-Salt and freshly-ground pepper
-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
-2 cups of white bread, diced into ¼ inches
-¼ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, some extra for garnish
-¼ cup of mayonnaise
-1 small garlic clove, smashed
Recipe Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the bread in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Toast the croutons on a baking sheet for 10 minutes until golden brown.
2. Reuse the bowl and mash the anchovies and garlic into a paste, adding a pinch of salt. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, then add the remainder of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Finally, stir in the cup of cheese.
3. Trim and remove 60 of the largest leaves from 6 of the endives. Trim each leaf to about four inches, arrange on a serving platter and set aside. Slice the last endive thinly along with the other endive trimmings, mix it into the dressing for an added crunch. Spoon the dressing mix onto each endive and top with croutons and cheese.
Classic Mulled Wine
Whether it’s for a cozy night in with family and friends, or for a holiday party, mulled wine is an easy to make, classic Christmas drink. It’ll fill your home with a tantalizing holiday season fragrance, and will transport you in a snap to a European Christmas market.
One bottle of wine will yield five cups, so you can multiply the ingredients in this recipe depending on how many guests you have.
Recipe Ingredients:
-1 bottle of red wine (Merlot or Zinfandel)
-2 small oranges
-¼ cup of brandy
-1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
-2 cinnamon sticks, whole
-3 star anise
-4 cloves, whole
-Garnishes: cinnamon sticks, oranges sliced into rounds or half moons
Recipe Instructions:
1. Slice one of the oranges into rounds, and the other in half. Put the oranges into a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, and squeeze the juice from the other orange into the pot.
2. Pour the wine and brandy into the pot, adding one tablespoon of your sweetener of choice. Add the spices.
3. Over medium heat, warm the mixture. Keep an eye on it—as soon as you see bubbles beginning to form, lower the heat to the lowest setting.
4. Taste, and add another tablespoon of the sweetener if you like a sweeter mulled wine. Cook the mixture over low heat until it reaches your desired level of spiciness.
5. Serve it up in mugs with your favourite garnishes!
Come visit our garden centre in Port Carling and Bala and pick up some decorations for your holiday party. Choose from a selection of live potted trees, greens, wreaths, garlands, holiday urns, and more!
