What I Ate For New Years Eve!
We stayed in for New Years Eve, so rather than making a meal like normal and then being hungry from being up so late, I decided to make a bunch of snacky, appetiser kinds of foods to keep us going.
Prosciutto, Basil, Fig Jam & Goat Cheese Crostinis
This recipe comes from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs, and was a definite success. I can't find fig jam here, so I substituted for cranberry, and it was still yummy as can be! Also, since Killian doesn't like goats cheese, I used cream cheese on his in its place and he said it was still really good that way.
Honey, Bacon, Brie & Walnut Flatbread
This flatbread was hands down the winner of the night. It had a great texture and was unbelievably decadent. I had a few pitas left at home to use up, so those took the place of the flatbread. Just writing about this recipe makes me want to have one right now!
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pinwheel Pastries
I'll admit, I changed a lot about this recipe from Just A Taste. And it was a hit and miss kind of deal. I wanted to keep with the idea of a red fruit and a pinwheel. But instead of the filling she uses, I did brie and cranberry jam. Tasty? Yes. As pretty as the picture? No. I find that the puff pastry here is very puffy. And they don't have any biscuit dough (or anything similar that I've found) since biscuits don't exist here. At least, not the way we know them in America. So the pastries didn't keep their shape, and when you picked them up, the parts that stick out droop down and don't hold their shape. I did find, however, that once they'd been sitting out for many hours they kept their shape better. I'd like to try this recipe again but actually follow it with the filling ingredients! The pinwheels were super easy to make though, and I would like to make my own dough and do things like apple pie pinwheels in the future. It'd be fun to play around with!
Caprese Bruschetta
These were super easy and fun to make, and a classic tasty snack. Would definitely do them again, maybe with a balsamic reduction!
Pizza Bites
Picture by Wire Whisks and Wooden Spoons
I've made pizza bites in cupcake tins before. They're super easy. And I mean super. Easy. And delicious! At all healthy or unique? Eh, not so much. But definitely worth it. Again, I used puff pastry dough since things like Pillsbury aren't available here, and topped mine with a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Then, I added one pepperoni slice on top of each (pepperoni is not really a thing here, and the slices I found were huge) and popped them in the oven to bake.
Picture by Will Cook for Friends
Last but not least was camembert! The photo above is of brie, but I kept the same concept. I poked holes in the top of the cheese with a butter knife. I stuck in two cloves of garlic, drizzled honey over the top, and then added some crumbled walnuts to finish it off. We dipped in a variety of crackers, apples, and bread. Plus, we snacked on some grapes on the side.
Well, that's it for my NYE! I know I'm late, but I couldn't pass up the chance to share these amazing recipes with you guys. If you try any of them, let me know what you think!