Cheese Canape Recipes
We've got the perfect cheesy canapes to enjoy with friends in the garden this summer. Serve them as canapes or light bites. Each cheese can be substituted for a vegan or vegetarian alternative. Our hotels serve different local cheeses in their restaurants, make sure you try the local delicacy when you visit.
SERRANO WRAPPED PEAR WITH GOAT'S CHEESE
INGREDIENTS
6 slices of serrano ham, 1 pear, 125g of goat's cheese, ½ a packet of rocket leaf
METHOD
Tear 6 slices of Serrano ham in half. Core a pear and cut into 12 slices. Place a piece of pear at the bottom of the ham slice. Add a 3cm piece of goat's cheese and a few rocket leaves. Roll up and secure with a cocktail stick.
Cheese & Marmite Sausage Rolls
INGREDIENTS
375g block all-butter puff pastry
plain flour, for dusting
2-3 tbsp Marmite, depending on how much you like it
85g extra mature cheddar, grated
400g sausage meat or pork sausages, skins removed and meat squeezed out
1 egg, beaten
METHOD
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle roughly A4 size (30 x 21cm). Drizzle and gently spread over half the Marmite and evenly scatter with two-thirds of the cheddar. Fold the two ends of the rectangle into the middle, then fold everything in half again so the pastry is like a book, then fold in half again so you have a tight block of pastry. Cover with cling film and put in the fridge for at least 10 mins.
Tip the sausagemeat into a large bowl with the remaining Marmite and cheese and add 3 tbsp of cold water and squish or mix everything together.
Roll out the pastry to a neat rectangle, roughly 35 x 30cm. Trim the edges with a knife so they are perfectly straight, then cut in half lengthways so you have two long strips. Divide the sausage mix in two and mould each half along the middle of each strip in a cylindrical shape, leaving a decent border at either side. Brush the border and top of the sausage mix with beaten egg and roll the pastry over to encase the sausage, tightly pressing both edges of pastry together by crimping or pressing down gently with a fork.
Cut the sausage rolls into a length that suits. Place on a baking sheet and chill again for at least 20 mins or until ready to bake (chilling the pastry now will stop it from splitting as it cooks). Can be made up to a day ahead or frozen for a month. To cook from frozen, just add an extra 10 mins to the cooking time.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the sausage rolls liberally with egg and bake for 30-35 mins until the pastry is deep golden. Lift from the tray to a rack immediately or they’ll stick to the tray and leave to cool for at least 10 mins then, cut them into smaller bite sizes and serve warm.
CUCUMBER & BLUE CHEESE CANAPES
100g ricotta cheese
25g Blue cheese, chopped
2 spring onions, whites only, very finely chopped
1 cucumber, thickly sliced
Toppings:
16 small black grapes
4 toasted pecan halves, cut into slivers
½ 80g tub pomegranate seeds
a few fresh thyme leaves
METHOD
Beat the ricotta with the blue cheese and onion until really smooth. Arrange the cucumber slices on a large platter. Top each cucumber slice with some of the cheese mixture – you can pipe it on if you want a professional finish.
Top half with a grape and sliver of pecan, and the remainder with pomegranate seeds and thyme. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Will keep in the fridge for up to one day.
POTATO CAKES WITH SMOKED SALMON & CREAM CHEESE
INGREDIENTS:
1kg baking potatoes
100g butter, melted
100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the topping:
100ml double cream
zest and juice 1 lemon
200g pack smoked salmon slices, cut into strips
small bunch dill, fronds picked
50g caperberries, halved
METHOD
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, then bake whole for 1 hr 20 mins or until crisp on the outside and fluffy inside. Set aside on a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Line a large (approx 35 x 25cm) baking tray with a piece of baking parchment and brush with half the remaining butter. Roll out the potato dough on a floured surface, then lay it on the lined baking tray – don’t worry if it breaks, just push the pieces back together once on the tray. Brush the dough with the remaining melted butter and bake for 45 mins or until golden brown on the outside.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray. Meanwhile, put the cream cheese in a large bowl and whisk until smooth and light. Stir in the double cream and lemon juice, and season well with black pepper. Spread the cream cheese mixture all over the surface of the cooled potato cake. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the potato cake into 30 squares, then top with the strips of salmon, the dill fronds, caperberries and lemon zest. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
FETA, DATE & SPINACH PASTRIES
INGREDIENTS:
500g spinach, any coarse stalks removed
115g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 spring onions, finely chopped
8 dates, stoned and finely chopped
½ small bunch of parsley, leaves finely chopped
8 mint sprigs, leaves torn
25g toasted pine nuts
150g feta, crumbled
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
250g pack filo pastry sheets
black sesame seeds, for sprinkling
METHOD
Put the spinach in a pan with 2 tbsp water over low-medium heat and cover. Stir the spinach a couple of times until wilted, about 4 mins, then drain. When cool enough to handle, firmly squeeze the excess water from the spinach with your hands, then roughly chop.
Heat 10g of the butter and all of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until pale and softened. Add the drained spinach and garlic, season and cook for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool.
Transfer the spinach mixture to a bowl, then mix in the spring onions, dates, parsley, mint, pine nuts, feta and egg. Season.
Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Unroll the filo pastry and cut it into strips 9-10cm wide. Melt the rest of the butter, then brush one strip with some of it before putting another strip on top and brushing that too. Keep the remaining pastry covered with a tea towel as you work. Put two heaped teaspoonfuls of the filling at the end of the strip nearest to you.
Fold the bottom corner of the pastry diagonally over the filling, so that what was the bottom edge now meets the right-hand edge of the pastry. Fold over the filled triangle and keep going like this with the whole strip, brushing with butter as you go, until you have a neat triangular filo package. Repeat the process with all the pastry and filling. Brush the top of each one with butter, then put it onto baking sheets. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds and bake for 25-30 mins, or until the pastry is golden brown.