Christmas canapé recipes: hosting made easy

Camembert parcels with hazelnuts and chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 whole camembert - about 250g
• 50g toasted chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50g butter
• 2 x 270g packet filo pastry
• 3 tbsp Tracklements Christmas Spice Chutney
• Rocket salad to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6.
2. Cut the camembert into 6 segments and press the cut sides in the hazelnuts.
3. Heat the butter and oil together until melted. Unroll the filo pastry and cut the sheets in half. Brush 1 sheet of pastry with a little oil and butter, place a wedge of camembert in the centre and top with 1 heaped tsp of Christmas Spice Chutney.
4. Fold the pastry over to tightly enclose the cheese. Do this twice (it helps prevent the cheese leaking when cooked).
5. Gather the next (buttered) sheet of pastry up over the camembert, pinching and pleating it to create 'frills' on top.
6. Repeat so that you have used 4 sheets of pastry in total for each parcel. Place the parcels on a baking sheet.
7. Do the same with the other 5 pieces of cheese. Bake in a hot oven for 6-8 mins until golden brown. Serve as a starter with rocket leaf salad.

Mini merguez sausage rolls

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes to 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500g pack of essential Waitrose British Minced Lamb
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped 
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, plus 1 tsp for sprinkling
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500g pack puff pastry
• 1 large Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Egg, beaten, to glazeSea salt flakes, to sprinkle

Method:

1. Put the lamb in a bowl with the onion, cumin, coriander, chilli, fennel and garlic. Mix well.
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface to a 40cm square. Cut into 4 even-sized strips and brush the long edges lightly with beaten egg.
3. Divide the lamb mixture into quarters. Take one quarter and pinch it out between your fingers to a 40cm length. Position along the centre of one strip and do the same with the remaining lamb mixture. Bring the pastry up over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together. Use a floured fork to further seal the edges together. Cut each length into 10 and space slightly apart on baking sheets.
4. Brush with beaten egg and make a snip in the top of each with kitchen scissors. Sprinkle with extra fennel seeds and sea salt flakes and cover loosely with clingfilm. Chill until ready to cook.
5. To bake, preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5 and bake the sausage rolls for 35-40 minutes, swapping the trays over towards the end of cooking, until puffed and golden. Serve warm.

Healthier KFC hack

Ingredients:

• 1 pkt Yutaka Panko breadcrumbs
• 2/3 tbsp salt½ tbsp fresh chopped thyme
• ½ tbsp dried or fresh basil
• 1/3 tbsp dried oregano 
• 1 tbsp celery salt
• 2 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried mustard
• 4 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• A little oil
• 6 chicken breasts

Method:

1. Preheat Oven to 180C.
2. Combine the breadcrumbs with all the herbs and spices and mix thoroughly.
3. Put a good amount of the breadcrumbs on a plate and take each chicken breast and press firmly into the breadcrumbs coating well. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil.
4. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 mins basting half way through cooking time and cook until crispy and golden brown.
5. Slice chicken breasts and serve immediately while still crispy.

Tracklements Sticky Fig Relish with Goats' Cheese Toasts

Ingredients:

• Tracklements Sticky Fig Relish
• BaguetteGoats' Cheese

Method:

1. Pre-heat the grill to medium-high.
2. Cut the baguette into slices about 1cm-2cm thick and slice the goats' cheese thinly.
3. Place the baguette slices onto a baking tray and place two slices of goats’ cheese on top of each piece of baguette.
4. Add a spoonful of Sticky Fig Relish on top of the goats' cheese and grill in the oven untill the bread is toasted and the goats' cheese has started to melt.

Beer glazed sausages

Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 500ml bottle of Proper Job from St Austell Brewery
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 3oz dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pack of sausages – mini ones are perfect for the festive period

Method:

1. Cook the sausages according to the instructions on the package.
2. While the sausages are cooking, combine the Proper Job, maple syrup, water, dark brown sugar, cornflour, cinnamon and black pepper in a saucepan and gently bring it to the boil. Stir frequently.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until it has been reduced by half.
4. When the sausages are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and drizzle with the beer glaze.

Higgidy Pea and Parmesan Parcels

Ingredients:

• 250g frozen petits pois
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 50g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 100g cream cheese
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 6 sheets of filo pastry
• 75g butter, melted
• About 30 fresh mint leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Put the petits pois, spring onions, almonds, beaten egg, cream cheese, feta and Parmesan into a big bowl and mix well. It's easiest to do this with your hands to make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Lay a sheet of filo on your work surface and brush it with melted butter. Place 10 whole mint leaves randomly on top and sandwich with a second sheet of filo. Brush again with melted butter. Cut your double-thickness filo in half, lengthways, to give you two oblongs.
3. Starting at one end of an oblong, spoon one-sixth of the filling mixture on to the filo towards a corner. Fold over the corner with the filling on it diagonally to form a triangle. Continue to fold in this way, retaining the triangle shape. Repeat with the second oblong.
4. Now repeat steps 2 and 3 with the next two sheets of filo and half the remaining filling, then with the last two sheets and the rest of the filling so that you have six triangles.
5. Place the triangles on a cold baking tray that's lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush with the remaining butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Mini venison burgers

Preparation time: 15 minutes + cooling Cooking time: 23 minutes

Ingredients:

• 125g self-raising flour
• 40g firm butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 75ml milk, plus extra to glaze
• 227g pack Waitrose 1 Hand Pressed Venison Burgers
• ½ x 150g pack Waitrose Le Gruyère Slices
• 2-3 tbsp cranberry sauce or onion chutney

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the parsley, celery salt and milk and blend briefly to a dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1cm thickness. Cut out 4cm rounds using a pastry cutter, rerolling the trimmings until you have 12 rounds. Brush the tops with milk to glaze and bake for 12 minutes until risen and pale golden. Leave to cool.
3. Cut each venison burger into 6 wedges and reshape each wedge into a mini burger, about 5cm in diameter. Place on a baking sheet. Cut away the rind from the cheese slices and cut each slice into 4 squares. Split the scones, ready for filling.
4. To serve, preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5 and bake the burgers for 10 minutes. Place a cheese slice on top of each and briefly bake for a further 30 seconds to soften the cheese. Use to sandwich the scones together, placing a little sauce or chutney below the burger.

Salmon Avocado Toasts

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 x 213g can Princes Red Salmon
• 12 slices from a thin French stick
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
• Few drops of lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Parsley or chives, to garnish

Method:

1. Drain the can of Princes Red Salmon, removing the skin and any bones, if wished. Break the salmon into chunks.
2. Toast the slices of bread. Mash the avocado with a fork and add a few drops of lemon juice. Spread onto the toast and top with the salmon chunks. Serve, sprinkled with black pepper and garnished with parsley or chives.

Potato, leek and stilton bites

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes, approx. 800g peeled weight (a firm and creamy variety like Desiree would work well for this)
• 25g butter
• 2 medium leeks, finely sliced
• 100g Stilton or other well flavoured cheese
• Salt and black pepper
• Rapeseed oil or melted butter for brushing

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Fan 180oC/ Gas 5.
2. Cut the potatoes in half lengthways, put into a large pan and parboil for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, leave to cool and then grate into a bowl.
3. Place the leeks into a shallow dish with the butter, cover and microwave for 2 ½ to 3 minutes to soften. Alternatively pan fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Lightly oil a mini muffin tray. Place a heaped teaspoon of grated potato into each ring, season and press down. Place a layer of cooked leeks on top. Top with the remaining potato. Brush the top with a little rapeseed oil or butter.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Tip: These can be made in advance, covered with cling film and left in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. Try using sautéed mushrooms or leftover Brussels and a little bacon as an alternative to leeks.

Milky Mischief Freakshake

Ingredients for the shake: 

• 3 scoops ice cream
• 5 x Monty Bojangles Milky Mischief truffles
• 50 ml Spiced rum
• 50 ml Espresso shot

Ingredients for the topping:

• Whipped cream
• Different coloured chocolate shards (milk and dark chocolate)
• Grated Monty Bojangles Milky Mischief truffles
• Whole Monty Bojangles Milky Mischief truffles
• White snowflake decorations

Method:

Whizz all of the ingredients together in a blender and decorate with whipped cream and chocolatey goodness as you please!

Chocolate Pot with Gin Mare biscuits, paired with Chocolate Orange Flip

Ingredients for the chocolate pot:

• 200 g (7 oz.) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 75 ml (21/2 fl oz.) milk, warmed to room temperature
• 200 ml (7 fl oz.) double (thick) cream, out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so

Ingredients for the Gin Mare biscuits:

150 g flour

50 g butter

50 g white sugar

30 g white chocolate

10 g confit black olives

A handful thyme leaves100 ml Gin Mare

 Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C . Line one baking sheet with baking paper. To make the biscuits, beat flour, butter, sugar, white chocolate, confit olives, add the gin mare at the end and mix all together. Roll small balls of the biscuit mixture in your hands (about golf ball size), place on the baking tray & then flatten out gently with the back of a spoon. 
2. Cook in the oven for around 20-30 minutes until lightly golden. Have a rolling pin ready and as soon as the biscuits are out of the oven, lay them over the rolling pin so that they cool and harden in a curled shape. 
3. Set aside on a wire rack. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie until smooth. Very slowly add the milk, then the cream. 
4. Pour into six small pots and leave to set in a cool place (or in the fridge if your kitchen is very hot) before serving with the biscuits.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Orange Flip: 

1. 40ml Gin Mare
2. 20ml Dry Chocolate liqueur
3. 20ml sugar syrup
4. 1 Whole Egg

Method for the Chocolate Orange Flip:

1. Shake with out ice, add ice and shake hard again. Double strain into small water glass.
2. Garnish with a flamed orange zest, and a sprinkle of dehydrated, crumbled black olives.

Gin Mare, Mediterranean Gin, is available from selected Waitrose, Ocado, Oddbins, thedrinkshop.com and thewhiskyexchange.com.

Calgary Avansino's Low-Sugar Margarita

Ingredients:

• Enough sea salt flakes to cover the bottom of a small plate
• 50ml larger shot size or 25ml smaller shot size of tequila
• 3 tbsp (1 ounce) lime juice
• ¼ tsp orange extract
• ½ tsp stevia (natural sweetener)Small handful of ice
• 2 tbsp Highland Spring sparkling water
• Slice of lime, to serve

Method:

1. Wet the rim of a margarita glass with water and dip it into a plate of salt to create your rim of salt.
2. Next, combine the tequila, lime juice (freshly squeezed is best), orange extract, stevia and ice.
3. Shake it all up in a cocktail mixer until combined. Then add the Highland Spring sparkling water at the end.
4. Serve with a slice of lime.