New Year’s Eve appetizer and beverage suggestions are everywhere, including Places In The Home.
Camille Styles
Allow me to entice you with a few favorite recipes old and new for your New Year’s Eve spread consideration.
Sugar and Nut Glazed Brie
Ingredients
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts or pecans
1 tablespoon brandy
1 (14-ounce) round brie
Apple wedges, for serving
Pear wedges, for serving
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Crackers, for serving
Directions
In a small bowl stir together the sugar, nuts, and brandy. Cover and chill for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the brie on an ovenproof platter or pie plate. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes or until the brie is slightly softened. Spread the sugar mixture in an even layer on top of the warm brie and bake for 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until the sugar melts.
Brush the fruit wedges with lemon juice and arrange them around 1 side of the brie.
Place crackers around the other side.
-The Food Network
Stuffed Mushrooms, Baby!
Ingredients
24 ounces, weight White Button Mushrooms
⅓ pounds Hot Pork Sausage
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
⅓ cups Dry White Wine
8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
1 whole Egg Yolk
¾ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Directions
Wipe off or wash mushrooms in cold water. Pop out stems, reserving both parts. Chop mushroom stems finely and set aside. Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool. Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat. Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate. Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese. Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up. Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.
-The Pioneer Woman
We had these at a cocktail party a few years ago and I was thrilled to rediscover the recipe.
Rich & indulgent, exactly the way appetizers on New Year’s Eve should be!
Pecan-Crusted Artichoke Spread
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 8 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing
2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)
2 dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
¼ cup finely chopped pecans
Baguette-style French bread slices, toasted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 minutes. Add spinach; cook for 3 to 5 minutes more or until onion is tender and spinach is cooked, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts, cream cheese, mayonnaise dressing, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and hot pepper sauce.
Transfer to an ungreased 1-½-quart casserole. Bake for 40 minutes. Top with pecans; bake for 10 minutes more.
Serve with toasted bread slices.
Makes 4 cups spread (sixty-four 1-tablespoon servings).
-Better Homes and Gardens
Party Crab Puffs
Ingredients
1 cup water
½ cup butter, cubed
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
FILLING:
4 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
1 can (6 ounces) lump crabmeat, drained
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
Minced fresh parsley, optional
Directions
In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Immediately split puffs open; remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Cool puffs.
In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Just before serving, spoon 1 teaspoonful filling into each puff; sprinkle with parsley if desired. Replace tops. Yield: 8 dozen.
-Taste of Home
Photo: Todd Coleman
Mr. B’s Barbecued Shrimp
Ingredients
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 12 tbsp. cut into ½ ” cubes and chilled
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup Crystal hot sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. Creole seasoning
4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 ½ lb. head-on large shrimp, unpeeled
Kosher salt, to taste
French bread, for serving
Directions
Heat 3 tbsp. butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook until soft, 1-2 minutes. Add hot sauce, Worcestershire, juice, Creole seasoning and pepper. Bring to a simmer; cook until sauce is reduced by half, 5-7 minutes. Add shrimp; cook, flipping once, until cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in chilled butter to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt.
Serve with French bread.
-Saveur
I prepared these for Christmas dinner and the reviews were rave! The recipe is balanced correctly for a not- too-sweet side dish for baked ham, scrambled eggs, or as dessert.
Butterscotch Pears
Ingredients
4 large firm pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup pear nectar
2 tablespoons honey
Directions
Cut pears in half lengthwise; remove cores. Brush pears with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon and salt; stir in pecans. Spoon into pears; place in 4-qt. slow cooker.
Combine pear nectar and honey; drizzle over pears.
Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through.
Serve warm.
-Taste of Home
Cocktail Suggestions
Hirsheimer & Hamilton
Prosecco- Raspberry Gelée
Ingredients
2 cups (9 ounces) fresh raspberries
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons. sugar, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 750-ml chilled bottle Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine), divided
3 ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin (measured from two 1/4-ounce envelopes)
¾ teaspoon orange-flower water (optional)
Directions
Place raspberries, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a medium bowl; toss gently to combine.
Let stand at room temperature until raspberries release their juices, tossing occasionally, 20-30 minutes.
Place ½ cup Prosecco in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over and let stand 5 minutes to soften.
Bring 1 cup Prosecco to a boil with remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved.
Transfer gelatin mixture to a large pitcher. Add raspberries with juices, remaining Prosecco, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and orange-flower water (if using), stirring to dissolve any sugar.
Using a slotted spoon, divide raspberries equally among coupe glasses or other small wide, shallow glasses or cups. Divide Prosecco mixture equally among glasses, about ¾ cup per glass.
Chill gelée until firm, about 3 hours.
-Epicurious
This is my favorite~
Cheers to the perfect spicy alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail for New Year’s Eve and/or New Year’s Day.
Creole Bloody Mary Cocktail
Ingredients
1 tsp. celery salt
2 ounces vodka
1 tsp. Pickapeppa sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce
6 ounces Clamato juice
2 lemon wedges
1 tsp. lime juice
Celery hearts, for garnish
*** for an extra spicy garnish, spicy pickled green beans are delicious!***
Directions
Run lemon wedge around rim of a glass. Fill glass with ice. Pour in vodka(or delete for non-alcoholic version), Pickapeppa sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce; top with Clamato.
Add celery salt, lime juice, and lemon juice from wedges into glass.
Stir well and garnish with celery heart or spicy green bean.
Serves 1.
© Dave Lauridsen via Food & Wine
Emerald Palmers
Ingredients
8 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 cups mint leaves
1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
Kosher salt
Ice
Directions
In a bowl, toss the cucumbers with the mint leaves. Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and puree until chunky.
In a large pitcher, combine the lemon juice, agave and matcha powder with 5 cups of ice water. With the blender on, add half of the lemon mixture to the puree and blend until very smooth. Transfer to a punch bowl. Blend the remaining cucumbers, mint and lemon mixture until very smooth and transfer to the punch bowl.
Season the drink lightly with salt and serve in ice-filled glasses.
-Food & Wine
Green Pea and Pearl Onion Pancakes 
Taylor-Cook home, better known as The Steel Magnolia House, remains one of the most recognizable and popular historic homes in downtown Natchitoches.
The Wash – Clementine Hunter
Picking Cotton – Clementine Hunter
