Holiday Party Recipes

Hosting parties is one of my favorite things to do and I recently had a holiday cocktail party.  Many people asked for my recipes so I'm sharing many of them here along with pictures!

Let's start with the all important bar.  A well stocked bar makes for a great party and the whiskey punch was a big hit on this snowy night.  I usually let people try it before I let them know the ingredients because it's deceptively simple.  Empty a can of frozen lemonade into your punch bowl.  Then use the can as a measuring tool to add one can's worth of whiskey and two of seltzer. Mix and serve! 

Then comes the savory buffet...

• Deviled eggs
• Spicy stuffed mushrooms
• Spanakopita
• Mini Reuben sandwiches
• Smoked salmon cucumber boats
• Sweet potato and pecan purses (I substituted goat cheese for blue)
• Pears with blue cheese and prosciutto 
• Smokey and sweet kielbasa bites
• Antipasto skewers (not pictured)
• An assortment of dips and crackers (not pictured)

And not to be outdone, the sweets!

Almond wedges

Linzer cookies

Mini gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Pecan pie bites

All of which were accompanied by apple tart and eggnog panna cotta which escaped the camera. 

Parties are a great time to make memories.  But they also come with many memories built in.  The punch bowl was a gift from my friend Kristen and the drink tub a gift to Jake from my mom.  The flowers on the table were sent to me by my future mother-in-law.  The copper chafing dish was handed down to me by my grandfather.  I repurposed centerpieces from friends' weddings and showers as additional decor.  A cross-stitch piece of the twelve days of Christmas that my grandmother made hung in the window.  I remembered the last time I made those deviled eggs was for a lovely late summer picnic Jake and I had in Gloucester.  And the last time I wore the sparkly dress was to dinner after our engagement.   

I love the holidays and all the memories they bring, all the chances to spend with the people you care about.  Which is exactly why I love hosting a good party.  May your days be merry and bright and filled with delicious noshes and good company.  Merry Christmas everyone!

How to Make an Ombre Cake

What's better than cutting into a nice big, frosted cake?  A pretty ombre surprise inside!  Perfect for a bridal or baby shower, a friend's birthday, or a Friday night, this cake will wow your friends with truly minimal effort.

All you need are two boxes of white cake mix, two cans of vanilla frosting, and some red food coloring.  You'll also need some tools like baking pans, a cake leveler, and a spatula.  A food scale also comes in handy, but isn't a must.

Start by mixing the cake mix according to the directions on the box.  If you're using a food scale, put the bowl you'll be mixing in on the scale before you begin adding your ingredients so you can get an accurate measure of how much batter you have.  

Then start by adding a few drops of food coloring, two or three.  Pour this light colored batter into one of your baking pans (either eyeball it, or put the pan on your scale and pour in one quarter of the total weight of the batter). Repeat this step with more food coloring each time. 

Let your cakes cool before removing them from the pan.  You'll want to level out each cake so that they stack more easily.  I suggest putting a little frosting on the plate before you place your first layer, to keep the cake more stable.  Then order them from light to dark or dark to light, adding a layer of frosting between each one.  When you're done, frost the outside of the cake and then anxiously anticipate that first slice!