This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Who doesn’t love a canapé? Mouthwatering gorgeousnesses – personally I can’t get enough of them! Now that Summer is well and truly here there’s nothing quite like inviting friends round for an alfresco meal, chilled bottles of Provencal rosé and colourful platters of homemade canapés. Here are three impressive ones you may like to try…
Mini Chilli and Crab Doughnuts
FOR 16 DOUGHNUTS
- 100ml whole milk
- 25g unsalted butter
- 200g strong white flour
- 7g sachet fast action dried yeast
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- Vegetable oil, to grease and to deep-fry
FOR THE FILLING
- 200g cooked white crab meat (tinned or fresh)
- 75g mayonnaise
- 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
For the doughnuts, heat milk and butter in a small pan over low heat to melt butter. Cool until just warm.
In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix flour, yeast, sugar, egg, cooled milk mixture and ½tsp fine salt. Knead on low-medium speed for 8-10min, until springy (the dough should be glossy and slightly sticky). Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 1hr, until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix all the ingredients except the chives, together with plenty of seasoning. Cover and chill until needed.
Once dough has risen, grease a large baking sheet. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces, roll into balls and space apart on the greased sheet. Loosely cover with clingfilm and leave to rise again for 30min, until puffed.
Fill a large, heavy-based, deep pan with oil so that it’s 5cm deep. Heat oil to 160°C. Add 8 doughnuts at a time and cook for 2min per side, until golden and puffed. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Cook remaining doughnuts, monitoring oil temperature.
When ready to serve, cut into the top of each doughnut, almost all the way down. Spoon in the crab filling and garnish with chives.
GET AHEAD: Cook doughnuts up to 4hr in advance. Cool, cover and store at room temperature, unfilled. Make filling up to 4hr ahead, cover and chill. To serve, reheat doughnuts in an oven preheated to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5 for 5min before completing recipe. Alternatively, make dough to end of step 2 a day ahead; knock back once risen, cover and chill overnight. Complete recipe to serve.
TIP 1: ensure your canapés are mouth sized portions or, if larger, give them a napkin!
Celeriac Remoulade with Chorizo
FOR THE REMOULADE
- Juice 1 lemon
- 300g celeriac
- 3 tbsp crème fraîche
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 – 2tsp Dijon mustard, to taste
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
TO SERVE
- Medium part-baked baguette, about 160g
- 60g diced chorizo
For the remoulade, put lemon juice into a medium bowl. Next, peel celeriac using a vegetable peeler. Coarsely grate and toss in the lemon juice. Mix through remaining ingredients and check seasoning. Cover and chill until needed.
Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Slice baguette into 20 x 1cm (1/2in) thick rounds and arrange on a baking tray. Bake for 12-15min, turning halfway through, until crisp and golden. Cool.
Fry chorizo in a small pan over medium heat for 4-5min until crisp and the chorizo has released some of its oil.
To serve, spoon remoulade on to the toasts and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon on fried chorizo and drizzle with some of the oil. Garnish with parsley and serve. Makes 20.
GET AHEAD: Make remoulade and bake toasts up to a day ahead. Cover and chill remoulade. Cool, then store toasts in an airtight container at room temperature. Assemble up to 1hr ahead.
TIP 2: Micro herbs and edible flowers make great garnishes
TIP 3: have the ingredients prepped and ready, but assemble just before your guests arrive. That way, no soggy bottoms or tired/dry looking finger food!
Pecan shortbreads with blue cheese cream
FOR 30 SHORTBREADS
- 125g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 100g butter, chilled and cubed
- 50g Parmesan, finely grated
- 40g pecans, finely chopped
FOR THE FILLING
- 50g Dolcelatte cheese
- 50g cream cheese
In a food processor, pulse flour and butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rub butter into flour using your fingertips.
Pulse/stir in Parmesan, followed by pecans and some freshly ground black pepper. Tip mixture on to a work surface and briefly knead to bring together into a disc. Wrap dough in clingfilm and chill for 30min.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll out pastry to 3mm (1/8in) thick. Cut rounds using a 5cm (2in) round cutter, rerolling trimmings. Arrange on a baking tray, spacing apart. Chill for 20min.
Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Cook biscuits for 10-12min until lightly golden. Cool for 5min on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Beat together filling ingredients. Gently sandwich shortbreads together with cheese mixture. Serve.
GET AHEAD: Make shortbreads up to 2 days ahead. Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Complete recipe up to 1hr ahead.
TIP 4: choose your prettiest platters for your canapés – they should be as good to look at as they are to eat.
Did you know we have almost 1000 recipes on this site?
Recipes all from Good Housekeeping website.