I made these items recently and thought I’d share them with you so that you could share them with your friends and family this holiday season.
First things first… I love appetizers!!! Varieties of little bites of tasty foods is what I dream of on a daily basis. I love to eat, if you haven’t noticed… So when its time to have a party or a family gathering, I love preparing the apps.
A charcuterie and cheese board is always fun to put together. I can get as creative or as basic as my heart desires. I put this platter together for my husband and I for dinner one evening. I told you I love this stuff!! My fridge is always packed and most of the items on here I already had on hand. I went to my local market and grabbed a fresh baguette as that’s a must, especially for the meat and soft cheeses. From top, across, to bottom, here’s what is on my platter:
- Cucumbers
- Crackers (Round)
- Hummus
- Gouda Cheese
- Radishes Slicesd
- Truffle Salami
- Italian Salami baguette
- Semi-soft French cheese
- Cranberries (Dried)
- Kalamata Olives
- Dates
- Campari Tomatoes
- Burrata Cheese with Honey and Micro Greens
- French Baguette
My rule is to have 2-3 varieties of each; cheeses and meats. Also, I like to add the veggies and fruit to add some salty and sweet to the mix. 
If you like your bread crispy, slice up the baguette into thin slices, place on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and seas salt, then bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes or until they are crispy and slightly toasted. I could dip these in anything and everything… so good!
Grab a glass of wine (red, rose or white) and you’ll be happy, I promise.
Next is another easy appetizer; however, this one requires you to use your oven but only for 10 minutes. These tartlets are wonderful served right out of the oven or at room temperature. Last time I made these, I ate them for days from the refrigerator too.
Brie & Fig Tartlets
Here’s what you will need:
- Pie Crust (1 package)
- Brie Cheese (Cut into square chunks)
- Fig Spread
- Fresh Thyme (Optional)
- Cookie Cutter
- Cooking spray
- Mini Cupcake Baking pan (24 slots)
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and spray the Mini Cupcake pan with non-stick spray.
Per the package instructions, thaw the pie crust, then place on a cutting board. Use a 2 1/4 inch cookie cutter and cut out as many rounds as you can. Place the rounds in the slots of the prepped cupcake pan. Continue with the second pie crust until you filled the 24 slots. (If you need to, roll out the extra dough for additional rounds.)
Cut the Brie Cheese into chunks and place one chunk in each slot.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and top each tartlet with a nice dollop of fig spread. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve warm or serve at room temperature.
Recipe written & tested by Hannah Hiller of Detroitisforfoodies.com
This right here is a beautiful vegetarian optional appetizer. It’s a loaded, crunchy bite of some of my favorite things.
Cucumber & Hummus Bites
Here’s what you will need:
- English Cucumber
- Hummus
- Cherry Tomato Halves
- Feta Cheese
Peel if you wish, then slice the cucumber into 3/4 inch rounds (I used a mandolin slicer and it took 2 minutes, tops.) Place the rounds on a serving tray.
I used a Ziploc bag and a cake decorating tip to pipe the hummus. (Cut a tiny piece of the corner of the bag, insert the tip, fill the bag with hummus, and pipe away.) Pipe enough to cover the top of the cucumber.
Top with tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta cheese.
Recipe written & tested by Hannah Hiller of Detroitisforfoodies.com
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