Four Christmas Party Nibbles

It’s the first day of December. I have no idea how that’s happened but the year is nearly up and Christmas shopping and planning is well underway. For me though, Christmas began in my inbox on the 2nd October, in the shape of a series of projects with awesome brands. The first of which I’m bringing you today.

I’ve been working with Funkin’ Cocktails to draw up a collection of party nibbles to see you through the festive season. The idea is that armed with these four recipes and a couple of Funkin’s fast cocktail mixers, you’ll be set to head in to the mania of Christmas as the best host/hostess/guest around.

So, without further ado, let’s look at the menu:

Menu

Caprese puff pastry spirals

Prawn pico de gallo in baked tortilla cups

Baked mozzarella pearls with a marinara dip

Coconut chicken goujons with a mango and chilli sauce

My ideal party is a hands off party, where you can enjoy your guests and not spend all night worried about what’s going in the oven, when. The recipes are simple and can be prepared in stages to give you time to get ready and in the party mood. Using them as your base and then adding some bought in nibbles like olives, continental meats and cheeses will create an awesome spread.

To take the pressure off even more, set up a ‘serve yourself’ bar with pitchers of cocktails made using the Funkin mixers. Just add ice, spirit and the mixer of your choice. You can then sit matching cocktails alongside well paired foods, for instance the Bellini goes perfectly with the Caprese Spirals.

Clicking the links above will take you straight to the recipe, half of which you’ll find in this blog. Head over to Funkin’s Party Hub for the coconut chicken goujons and, Matt’s favourite, the prawn pico de gallo.

Caprese Spirals

You’ll need:

(makes approximately 15 spirals)

320g Prerolled puff pastry

3 Tbsp Sundried tomato puree

1 Handful of basil leaves

130g Mozzarella (drained weight)

 

Spread the tomato puree evenly over the sheet of puff pastry. Tear the mozzarella in to thin strips and lay on top then scatter over the basil leaves. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Starting at one end, roll the whole thing tightly in to a log shape. At this point you can wrap it in cling film and leave in the fridge for up to three days.

When ready to bake them, reheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with a non stick sheet or greaseproof paper- I love silicone mats for jobs like this. Slice the roll in to 1cm thick discs and spread out on the tray. Bake for 15 minutes.

 

 

Baked Mozzarella Pearls with Marinara Dip

 

You’ll need:

130g Mozzarella (drained weight)

2 Tbsp Flour

1 Egg, whisked

5 Tbsp Panko

Marinara Sauce

 

If you can get hold of mozzarella pearls for this recipe that’s perfect, but if not, it works just as well to take a normal mozzarella ball and to cut it in to 1cm cubes.

Preheat the oven to 200 Degrees Celsius. Set up three bowls, one with the flour, one egg and one panko. Heavily season the flour with salt and pepper.

Roll the mozzarella cubes/pearls in the flour, then egg then panko. Repeating the egg and panko steps to achieve a good covering. Spread on a non stick baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes of until golden. Serve with some marinara sauce for dipping.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I enjoyed making them. Don’t forget to check out the Funkin shop to stock up before your Christmas parties. If you sign up to their mailing list using the bar at the top of their website, you’ll get 20% off your first order.