10 easy finger foods – ready in 10 minutes or less!

Christmas is the season of food but when you have a party it can be hard to tell what will please everyone. So why not make some canapés that will be sure to tantalise even the most pickiest guests’ tastebuds? Here’s 10 of our favourites.

1. Beetroot crackers with garlicky mushrooms

Makes: 30

Ingredients

• 150g vacuum-packed beetroot
• 3 tbsp creme fraiche
• 125g ricotta
• Small bunch dill, half roughly chopped
• 40g butter
• 250g button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• mini toasts or crackers of your choice

Method

1. In a food processor, whizz beetroot, creme fraiche and ricotta until coarse. Season well, stir in the chopped dill and chill until required.
2. Melt butter in a large frying pan, add mushrooms and garlic and fry until deep golden.
3. To serve, put the crackers on a platter, spread with a teaspoonful of beetroot mix, add a few mushrooms and garnish with a small sprig of dill.

2. Proscuitto and mozzarella bites

Makes: 8

Ingredients

• 16 slices of proscuitto
• 50g pack wild rocket
• 150g pack mini mozzarella
• 240g pack sun-blush tomatoes
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar glaze

Method

1. Lay a sheet of proscuitto on a board, add a few rocket leaves, a ball of mozzarella and a sun-blush tomato, season and roll into a neat wrap. Repeat with all the proscuitto slices.
2. Put on a platter drizzled with balsamic glaze and serve immediately or chill for a few hours until ready to serve.

3. Crispy prawns with sweet chilli dip

Makes: 30

Ingredients

• 275g breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 200g raw peeled king prawns, defrosted if frozen
• 1 egg, beaten
• 500ml sunflower oil
• Lime wedges, to serve

For the dipping sauce

• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Method

1. Mix together breadcrumbs, coconut, sesame seeds and flour in a bowl and season well. Toss prawns and beaten egg together then, a few at a time, shake off the excess egg and toss in the crumb mixture and put on a plate. Repeat until all the prawns are coated.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan until a cube of bread turns golden in 30 secs. Add the prawns and cook for about 2 mins until golden. Drain the prawns on kitchen paper.
3. Mix together the lime juice and zest, chilli sauce and soy sauce and pour into a dipping bowl. Serve with the prawns and extra lime wedges.

4. Apricot bites

Makes: 16

Ingredients

• 16 dried apricots
• 8 tsp crumbled blue cheese
• 50g chopped shelled pistachios
• 1/2 tsp honey
• Freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Top each apricot with 1/2 teaspoon cheese
2. Sprinkle with pistachios and drizzle with honey; sprinkle with pepper.

5. Unfried chicken tenders

Ingredients

• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 450g chicken tenderloins
• Olive or canola oil spray

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees and spray a baking sheet with olive or canola oil spray.
2. Whisk the bread crumbs, salt, paprika, garlic powder and flour in a shallow bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water.
4. Coat the chicken tenders in the egg mixture and then transfer them to the breadcrumb mixture. Press down with the heel of your hand to adhere the breadcrumbs to the tenders.
5. Place the tenders on the baking sheet and lightly and evenly coat the tops of each tender with spray.
6. Bake the tenders for 5 minutes and remove them from the oven. Turn the tenderloins over, spray them lightly and evenly again with olive or canola oil spray, and bake for 5 minutes more, or until cooked through.

6. Brie filo cups

Makes: 12

Ingredients

• 12 filo pastry cups
• raspberry jam or cranberry sauce
• block of brie cheese

Method

1. Fill pre-made filo pastry cups filled with a dollop of raspberry jam and small squares of brie cheese.
2. Pop in the oven for 8 minutes and you have a hot delicious appetiser ready to serve.

7. Stuffed celery recipe

Makes: 10

Ingredients