Lazy Days: Christmas Cocktail Party Canapés
We love all the glitz and glam of the Christmas party season here at Arlo & Jacob. It’s the most wonderful time of year to catch up with friends and family while donning your sparkliest dress or bow tie and celebrating with some good old-fashioned cheer. If you’re hosting this season, we’ve partnered with food writer, Rosie Birkett and Highland Spring to bring you these delectably moreish cocktail canapés recipes, perfect for your Christmas or New Years Eve bash! Trust us, they’re so good you’ll find it impossible to have just one.
Rosie’s Roasted figs with blue cheese, hazelnuts, honey and thyme
Ingredients:
8 beautiful fresh figs
200g blue cheese such as Gorgonzola
100g blanched, skinned hazelnuts
bunch of fresh thyme
Good quality runny honey
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Score the figs in a cross that’s not too deep but large enough to make an opening for the cheese. Cut the cheese into squares and stuff inside the figs. Place on an oiled roasting tray and season with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast for approximately seven minutes. After seven minutes take the figs out sprinkle with the hazelnuts and thyme and drizzle with honey. Cook for two more minutes. Serve warm.
Rosie’s blinis: Smoked trout with horseradish crème fraiche and chive
Ingredients:
1 pack of shop-bought blinis
150g hot smoked trout
4 tbsp crème fraiche
1 fresh horseradish root
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
bunch of chives
a squeeze of lemon juice
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the blinis on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, turning halfway through. In a bowl, put three tablespoons of crème fresh, one tablespoon of creamed horseradish and grate in a two-centimetre piece of horseradish root. Season with salt and pepper and a tablespoon of chopped chives. Flake the smoked trout in a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over it. Once the blinis are golden, remove from the oven, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then spoon on the crème fresh. Arrange the smoked fish over the top and garnish with extra chives and grated horseradish.