Clodagh McKenna's party picky-bits
Struggling to work out what to serve at your Christmas party? Struggle no longer! Clodagh is here to solve all your canape conundrums, whipping up not one, but three cracking dishes that will have everyone wanting an invite back next year.
Stuffed mushrooms with gorgonzola
Makes: 14
Ingredients
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped1 shallot, diced 80g gorgonzola 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 75g panko bread crumbs14 chestnut mushrooms 2 tbsp olive oilSea salt and black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan.
2. In a small bowl mix together the butter, parsley, shallot, gorgonzola and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the breadcrumbs until well combined.
3. On a baking tray, drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Arrange the mushrooms cavity-side up and spoon a heaping ½ teaspoon of the mixture into each.
4. Bake until mushrooms are tender and bread crumbs are golden and crispy, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Fancy pigs in blankets
Makes: 12
Ingredients
Plain flour, for surface1 x 320g ready rolled puff pastry (butter based if possible) 1 egg, beaten 6 slices prosciutto12 pork cocktail sausages Melted unsalted butter, for brushing3 tsp sesame seeds Honey mustard, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan.
2. Cut the pastry into 18 x 5cm x 8cm strips and brush the short edges of each strip lightly with a beaten egg.
3. Wrap half a slice of prosciutto around each cocktail sausage, then wrap each one in a pastry strip and press to seal.
4. Arrange the sausage rolls on the baking sheet and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Chill for 15 minutes then bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
6. Remove and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with a bowl of honey mustard to dip into!
Chocolate cinnamon hearts
Makes: 12
Ingredients
130g sugar, divided in half1 tsp cinnamon1 tbsp cocoa powder320g sheet puff pastry
Method
1. Mix half of the sugar with the cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt. Mix the other half of sugar with the cocoa powder and set aside.
2. Set out a piece of parchment paper on your rolling surface and unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto it.
3. Roll it out until it is a 12x12 inch sheet. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top surface and then use the rolling pin to press the sugar into the pastry.
4. Turn it over and sprinkle the cocoa sugar evenly over this side as you did the other.
5. Take each side of the puff pastry and fold it halfway to the middle. Then fold each side again so the two folds meet in the middle. Fold it again in the middle to close it up like a book. Chill for 15-30 minutes.
6. Slice the dough into 1/2 inch slices. Place the cookies onto parchment paper lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart, and bend the tops of the cookies apart from each other a little.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180oC for 12 minutes. Then turn and bake for 4-6 minutes more, or until the sugar has started to caramelise and the cookies are crunchy.
8. Move the cookies to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Once cool, the cookies can be stored in a sealed container for 4-5 days, though they will become less crisp as they sit.