Cuptail Finger Foods

 

 

Oh the joys of lip-smacking finger foods. Every Cuptail party deserves a few tasty little treats leading up to the cupcake debut. Keep it small, bite sized, tapas-style and easy to handle. You don’t want your date or guests too full before you serve them their Valentine’s Cuptail treats.

Mini Bites Menu
• Bacon Wrapped Dates
Ingredients
• 1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half
• 1 pound pitted dates
• 4 ounces blue cheese
Directions
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and place them into the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

• Multi-Colored Pepper Bruschetta
Ingredients
• 16 ounces Italian bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (16 ounce) jar marinated roasted sweet red peppers
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
• Preheat your oven’s broiler.
• Slice bread loaf into 1-inch thick portions. Brush each slice on one side with olive oil. Broil, oil-side up, until barely golden. Remove from broiler pan and cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together roasted pepper, garlic, tomato, basil, and onion. Sprinkle mixture evenly on each toast portion. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
• Spanish Olives
Ingredients
• 1 lb. assorted good imported olives(kalamata, nicoise, spanish, cracked green etc.) shopping list
• 8 garlic cloves, sliced shopping list
• ½ orange, zest or cut into 1/2″julienne shopping list
• 1/2 lemon, zest or cut into 1/2″ julienne shopping list
• 2Tbs fennel seedshopping list
• 1Tbs fresh rosemaryshopping list
• 4Tbs olive oilshopping list
• 3Tbs fresh lemon juiceshopping list
• 1/2tsp red pepper flakes.
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl,and marinate at room temperature at least 24 hours.
shopping list

 

• Sweet Onion & Gruyere Cheese Tartlets
Ingredients
• 3 cup(s) (about 10 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
• 8 ounce(s) cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
• 2 large (2 cups) sweet yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh thyme
• 1 Puff pastry shell
• 1/2 cup(s) kalamata olives, sliced

Directions
• Make the tarts: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix Gruyère, cream cheese, mustard, oregano, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet, add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until dark brown and caramelized — about 1 hour.
• Stir in the thyme and set aside.
• With a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece out to 8- by 6-inch rectangle.
• Spread about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all the way around.
• Top with 1/4 cup of the caramelized onions and 1 tablespoon of the olives.
• Bake tarts on parchment-lined baking pans for 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°F, and bake until puffed and golden, about 12 more minutes.

• Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients:
• 1 (14-ounce) package dark coating chocolate
• 24 large strawberries with stems, rinsed and patted dry
Directions:
• Melt coating chocolate in the microwave according to manufacturer’s directions, but usually at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.
• Lay out a large piece of waxed paper on a flat surface.
• Make sure strawberries are at room temperature and are as dry as possible.
• Holding the berries by the stem end, dip into melted chocolate, swirling to make sure all sides are coated.
• Lift out of the chocolate and let drip a second or two; place on waxed paper to dry completely.
• Chocolate-dipped strawberries are best eaten the day they are made, but they can be stored for a day by lining the bottom of a plastic container with waxed paper and placing a single layer of berries on it. Top with more waxed paper and the container lid.
• Place the strawberries in the coldest part of the refrigerator and eat within one day of making them.
• Champagne or Red Wine (Cabernet, Syrah, Pinot Noir or Merlot/Cab Blend)