I love appetizers and can easily make them into a meal. Here are a couple of simple recipes that you could use for New Year's Eve.
My aunt gave me this recipe this fall and I love these nuts! They look good in a bowl for people to sample.
Candied Walnuts
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper
2 cups walnut halves
Combine powdered sugar, salt and red pepper in a bowl. Bring four cups of water to a boil before adding walnuts halves. Cook 5 minutes. Drain. Place walnuts in sugar mixture, tossing well to coat. Place walnuts on a lightly greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
On the left side of this platter is a favorite of ours! I got the recipe as an undergraduate student at college when one of the teachers brought a platter of these for a Christmas gathering we had after class.
Cucumber Bread
sliced party rye bread (sold in the deli section of the grocery)
8 ounce cream cheese, slightly softened by allowing to sit on counter for a few minutes
2 T. mayonnaise
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (dry)
peeled and sliced seedless cucumbers
dried dill weed
Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise until well blended. Thoroughly stir in the dry dressing mix. Spread a spoonful of mixture on a slice of party rye. Place a slice of cucumber on top and then sprinkle with dill weed. Refrigerate.
By the way, of the other side of the platter are little cheese trees. You wouldn't need these for New Year's Eve, but I'll mention them since they are on the platter. They were fitting for Christmas Eve. All you do is get a round of Laughing Cow brand cheese and unwrap each wedge. Finely dice red and yellow sweet peppers for "ornamentation" and sprinkle on top. Also add dried dill weed. At serving time, insert a small pretzel rod for the tree's trunk.
Enjoy!
What are some of your favorite finger foods?