Entertaining at your next get-together will be a breeze with this medley of quick and effortless appetizers. Each can be assembled in minutes with easy to find store bought ingredients and a few caramels from McCrea’s Candies. Bonus: all pair delightfully with wine -- and we’ve included a suggestion with each recipe. (For a complete wine and caramel paring guide click here.)
So, think outside the traditional chips and salsa with these tasty caramel appetizers.
Need more than three cara-melt in your mouth hors d’oeuvres? Check out this blog post with six additional and just as easy to make canapes.
Mini Tartlet of Cape Cod Sea Salt Caramel with Balsamic-Glazed Strawberries
Makes 15 tartlets
Pair with a Rosé.
Ingredients:
- 5 Cape Cod Sea Salt caramels, each cut into 3 slices/pieces
- 1 package of mini phyllo tart shells (15 count)
- 7-10 fresh strawberries, trimmed and sliced
- 5 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling
Instructions:
- Heat up mini tart shells per package directions to crisp.
- Once cooled, arrange 3 slices of strawberries and 1 slice of caramel in each.
- Drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze.
- Stack basil leaves and roll like a cigar, then cut crosswise into thin strips (chiffonade). Top each tartlet with a few strips of basil and serve immediately.
Hors d’oeuvre of Fresh Pear Topped with Mascarpone Cheese and a Pearl of Ginger Fusion Caramel
Makes 15 hors d’oeuvres
Pair with a Riesling.
Ingredients:
- 5 Ginger Fusion caramels, each cut into 3 equal sized pieces and rolled between your hands to make small pea-sized balls
- 5 tbsp. mascarpone cheese (about 3-4 oz.)
- 1 ripe Bartlett, red, or Anjou pear
- Ground cinnamon for dusting
- Ground cardamom, for dusting
Instructions:
- Stem and core pear and then cut into 15 equal-sized slices, each about ¼ inch thick.
- Top each pear slice with 1 tsp. of mascarpone cheese, then top cheese with 1 pearl of Ginger Fusion caramel.
- Dust tops with cinnamon and cardamom. Serve immediately.
Canape of Water Cracker Topped with Sour Cherry Jam, Gorgonzola Dolce, and Sliced Deep Chocolate caramel
Makes 15 canapes
Pair with a Pinot Noir.
Ingredients:
- 5 Deep Chocolate caramels, each sliced into 3 slices
- 5 tbsp. sour cherry jam
- 5 tbsp. Gorgonzola Dolce (about 4 oz.)
- 15 water crackers
Instructions:
- Top each water cracker with about 1 tsp. of jam.
- Top that with around 1 tsp. of gorgonzola dolce cheese, then nestle a slice of Deep Chocolate caramel on top of cheese. Serve immediately.