Finger food for the New Year's Eve buffet - Slip into the new year relaxed with these snacks
Every year, the question arises as to what to eat on New Year's Eve. Of course, those who go out don't have this problem. But many people celebrate at home, at their own place or with friends, and if the raclette machine is not to be used again, a buffet is the most obvious option. Then everyone can bring something that not only makes the host's job easier, but also offers everyone something new and unfamiliar. In addition to the usual salads or cold meat and cheese platters, uncomplicated delicacies such as the following ensure maximum enjoyment.
1. fine bread canapés
They are called canapés, crostini or bruschette. We're talking about sandwiches, but not in the usual sense. They can be a little more extravagant for a buffet - when, if not now? That doesn't mean they have to be more elaborate. Fans of Italian cuisine may like classic bruschette with tomato and basil or a mixture of salami, pickled tomatoes and artichokes. Always toast the bread for this. Gourmets may enjoy slices with salmon tartare, salmon cream or caviar. You can combine avocado puree with crispy fried ham, cheese with fruit (figs!), mushrooms with bacon or grated Parmesan cheese and so on and so forth for your bread bites... Get creative!
2. egg, egg, egg
Another finger food classic, simple and quick to make: hard boil a couple of eggs, carefully cut them in half lengthways and remove the yolks. Pass the yolks through a sieve and mix with ingredients of your choice. For a herb mixture, for example, mix the strained egg yolk with mayonnaise, cream cheese or crème fraîche and season the mixture with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice (e.g. dill, parsley or chives). You can also use curry or mustard instead of herbs. You might like a fruity version with fig mustard. Tip: It is particularly decorative if you use a piping nozzle for filling. Serve on a salad with crackers.
3. small vegetable snacks
Hollowed-out small pieces of vegetables can be quickly filled with salad or cream cheese. A few examples: Cut a lid off medium-sized cocktail tomatoes and carefully remove the seeds from the tomatoes with a spoon and fill with chicken or tuna salad. If you prefer a vegetarian option, use a cream cheese mixture. For example, mix fresh goat's cheese or feta with a little crème fraîche until smooth, fold in roasted pine nuts and season to taste with finely chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil or thyme), salt and pepper. Alternatively, mix the crème fraîche with the same amount of pesto, fold in the roasted pine nuts and season to taste. A couscous salad is also suitable as a filling. And instead of tomatoes, you can cut a cucumber into 4-5 cm pieces, carefully hollow out and fill.
4. bacon and fruit
Spanish tapas also include some quick finger food for a New Year's Eve party. The best-known example is dates wrapped in bacon. Simply wrap the dried, pitted fruit with bacon cut in half lengthways and fry or roast in a hot oven under the grill until the bacon is brown. If you like, you can fill the dates with an almond kernel or roasted pine nuts, feta, Manchego cheese or fresh goat's cheese. You can also use prunes instead of dates or, more exotically, fresh pineapple (without the filling). The good thing about this bacon snack is that it also tastes good lukewarm or cold. To serve, insert toothpicks.
5. handy tortilla cubes
Another idea from the tapas kitchen: prepare a Spanish tortilla of your choice, i.e. a thick omelette with potatoes and vegetables, for example one with onions and olives or one with peppers. Cut the finished tortilla into cubes, place a whole or half cocktail tomato on top and skewer with a toothpick. If you like, you can also skewer some Spanish ham or use small gherkins instead of tomatoes.
6. colorful skewer companions
Speaking of toothpicks: skewers are generally ideal for a buffet. And there is little that can't be skewered and combined with each other: Meat, vegetables, cheese, fruit, on their own or in combination. Try mini mozzarella balls with tomato and basil, goat's cheese cubes with figs or caramelized pears. Skewered rolls are a little more sophisticated, see below.
If you don't mind a bit of tinkering, you can make mini burgers with small meatballs (see below) and bread rolls and hold them together with a small skewer or toothpick. The whole thing is more elegant if you fill portions of potato salad into small Weck jars and put one or two mini meatballs on skewers inside. Instead of meatballs, you can also fold a slice of salami and place it with other ingredients between the mini roll halves.
7. delicacies from the roll
The fillings mentioned in point 2 above - cream cheese, poultry or tuna salad - can also be rolled into fried vegetable slices, such as (larger) zucchinis or eggplants. To do this, cut the vegetables lengthwise into thin slices, season, fry on both sides and degrease on kitchen paper. Then place a dab on the bottom end and roll up, securing with toothpicks if necessary.
Finger food for New Year's Eve - these snacks will make the turn of the year relaxed
Mini wraps or involtini on skewers are also decorative and delicious. For example, you can fill wheat tortillas to your heart's content, roll them up tightly, cut the large roll into small pieces and skewer them. You can also roll out toast thinly with a rolling pin, cover it and roll it up. Or you can use crêpes if you have the time and inclination to prepare them. Otherwise, guests are sure to enjoy exotic classics such as chicken satay with peanut dip.
8. spicy snails and sticks
Ready-made pizza or puff pastry can also be used to make quick snacks, sticks, snails or pockets filled with feta cheese, spinach or minced meat.
For simple sticks, unroll the dough and spread with green or red pesto, for example. If you like, grate some Parmesan cheese over the top or add ham or diced bacon. You can also simply cover the plates with cheese, cheese and ham or salt and chopped herbs (lightly oil beforehand if necessary so that the ingredients adhere better).
For crispy sticks, cut the slabs into strips and twist them together, pressing the ends of the dough against each other. For snails, roll up the dough sheet and then cut into slices. Bake the sticks or snails on a baking tray lined with baking paper in a hot oven (200-220 degrees Celsius, middle shelf) for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown. They taste best fresh.
9. savory muffins
Admittedly, they take a little longer, if only because they have to cook in the oven. However, savory muffins are not necessarily time-consuming to prepare. And while they are in the oven, you have time for other things.
The basis is egg milk: mix four eggs with 200 to 250 milliliters of milk and season to taste. You can line the muffin cases with strudel or yufka dough. For each (greased) tin, you will need about four cut sheets of pastry, which you brush with fat or a mixture of fat and milk beforehand. Line the cavities with these and fill them with whatever you fancy: diced salami or ham, finely chopped mushrooms or spring onions, tomatoes or peppers, perhaps some grated cheese or herbs. Pour over the egg milk, sprinkle with cheese to taste and bake in a hot oven (180 to 200 degrees) on the middle shelf for about 20 minutes, covering with aluminum foil if necessary.
You can also use pasta instead of the dough. Cooked spaghetti, for example, can be used to make nests. You can fill them as described above and pour the egg milk over them.
10. hotly loved meatballs
Almost everyone has their own recipe for meatballs: mix minced meat with eggs, soaked, stale bread rolls or breadcrumbs, diced onions and spices, adding fresh herbs if necessary. Form small balls from this mixture and fry them. The balls also taste good cold, so no one will mind if they stand around a little longer. They can also be a little more exotic than usual. You can give them an oriental touch with lamb, feta and chopped apricots and an Asian touch by seasoning the mince with ginger, chili and garlic.
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- To add variety to your New Year's Eve buffet, consider offering morsels of sausage on toothpicks.
- Fragrant morsels of raclette cheese can be a tasty addition to the fingerfood selection on New Year's Eve.
- As an alternative to traditional fingerfood, consider offering finger-sized slices of bread with artisanal sausages for your New Year's Eve buffet.
- For a unique twist on fingerfood at your New Year's Eve buffet, try serving cocktail tomatoes filled with goat cheese and pine nuts.
- Elegant bread canapés topped with salmon tartare and caviar make for a luxurious addition to your New Year's Eve buffet.
- Hard-boiled eggs, hollowed out and filled with a mixture of herbs and cream cheese, make for an easy and festive fingerfood option for your New Year's Eve buffet.
- For a tangy and flavorful fingerfood option, try serving mini-cupcakes filled with a combination of crabmeat, avocado and cilantro for your New Year's Eve buffet.
- For a traditional and satisfying New Year's Eve fingerfood, consider offering small plates of olives, sliced salami and crusty bread.
- Delight your guests with finger-sized slices of bread topped with smoked salmon, capers, and a dollop of cream cheese for your New Year's Eve buffet.
- To add a touch of sophistication to your New Year's Eve buffet, consider offering fingerfood such as miniature quiches filled with spinach and feta, and topped with a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Source: www.stern.de
