Sweet Party Bites Recipes

SWEET PARTY MIX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a large roasting pan.
• In a large bowl, mix crispy corn and rice cereal, slivered almonds and toasted, chopped pecans.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and mix with dark corn syrup and light brown sugar. Pour the mixture over the crispy corn and rice cereal mixture. Stir and shake to coat all the nuts and cereal.
• Pour the coated mixture into the prepared roasting pan. Stirring approximately every 15 minutes, cook 1 hour in the preheated oven. Cool on wax paper, and store in airtight containers.

SAVOURY PARTY BITES

Steps:

• Mango & Prawn skewers 3 limes, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 chopped and deseeded red chilli and 1 tbsp chopped coriander. Cut a large mango into 20 chunks. Thread each onto a small skewer with a large cooked prawn (20 prawns will be about 250g/9oz). Marinate the skewers in the lime dressing for 1 hr (makes 20).
• Little caviar jackets Put 20 small new potatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Roast for 25 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then cool to room temp. Cut a small cross in the top of each one, push open a little and top with 1 tsp crème fraîche and some caviar (makes 20).
• Sticky squash with sesame seeds Peel a large butternut squash. Cut into 20 x 3cm squares, then mix with 1 tbsp each of soy sauce, sesame oil and honey. Arrange the chunks on a large baking tray lined with baking parchment. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp sesame seeds, season and bake for 20-25 mins at 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 until crisp. Put a cocktail stick in each chunk to serve (makes 20).
• Chorizo & chilli mini pizzas Use a pastry cutter to cut out 20 x 6cm circles from a pack of soft Middle Eastern flatbread or wraps. Grate 75g/2.5oz Manchego and chop 75g/2.5oz chorizo and ½ a red chilli. Scatter over the bread bases, then bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 10 mins (makes 20).
• Goat's cheese on toast Roughly mash 250g/9oz goat's cheese with 2 finely chopped shallots. Toast 5-6 slices of sourdough and stamp out 20 small circles. Spread each circle with some cheese, top with a small blob of chilli jam (you'll need about 3 tbsp) and scatter with chives, snipped from a small packet (makes 20).

SWEET PARTY BITES

Steps:

• Cream tea bites Split 6 scones. Sandwich them together with a 227g tub of clotted cream and ½ a jar of strawberry jam. Cut into quarters and serve like triangular sandwiches, pointy-side up (makes 24).
• Mini choc ice balls Use a melon baller to scoop 25 small balls of vanilla ice cream from a 500g tub. Freeze on a tray for 1 hr until solid. Melt 200g dark chocolate and spread 100g finely chopped pistachios on a tray. Dip the balls in the chocolate using a cocktail stick, then roll in the nuts and freeze for 30 mins or until serving (makes 25).
• Cheat's lamingtons Buy 2 x 350g Madeira sponge cakes. Trim, then cut into 20 x 3cm cubes. Freeze until solid. Heat 200ml double cream, then remove from heat and stir in 200g chopped white chocolate until melted. Cool a little. Spread 2 cups of desiccated coconut on a tray. Dip each frozen cake completely into the chocolate, then roll in the coconut to coat all sides (it might help to hold each cake on a skewer). Firm up on baking parchment for at least 30 mins before serving (makes 20).
• Apple & marzipan tarts Thinly roll out a 375g pack puff pastry. Divide into squares (roughly 20 x 5cm), then prick each all over with a fork. Spread onto baking sheets. Peel, core and slice 2 Bramley apples into 2cm pieces. Place a small slice of marzipan on each square (you'll need about 200g), top with some apple and bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 10 mins until crisp. Dust with icing sugar to serve (makes 20).
• Lemon fancies Use a 4cm pastry cutter to cut out 20 circles from bought lemon tarts (you'll need 2 large tarts). Top each with a raspberry and dust with icing sugar.