Stylish Starters: Easy hors d’oeuvres lend sophistication to any holiday party

Holiday entertaining is often connected with elegant, sit-down dinners. On such occasions, fine china, elegant table linens and multiple courses of sumptuous fare abound.

But during the holiday season, one cannot forget about simpler affairs, such as open-house parties which eschew the traditional dinner table in favor of buffet-style appetizers that can be spread out on a table or countertop or offered on serving trays.

Vegetable and cheese hors d’oeuvres are always popular at holiday parties because they are the perfect foods to eat between sips of a drink. Parmesan puff pastry cheese straws and herbed cheese-stuffed tomatoes add color and taste to a buffet table, while maple-glazed scallops and a star of Brie offer a touch of sophistication.
Building from basic foundations of assembly – filled and rolled, threaded and skewered or layered and stacked – the party host can create seemingly endless variations on the hors d’oeuvres theme.

Hors d’oeuvres should be both delicious and pleasing to the eye. Our recipes for holiday appetizers combine colors and shapes with underutilized but easy-to-find ingredients. A holiday open-house party provides a great opportunity for entertaining a group of friends, and these appetizers offer easy ways to celebrate in style.

Star of Brie and Crackers

Serves 10 to 12
1 2-pound whole wheel Brie cheese
?/? cup chopped walnuts, toasted
?/? cup chopped pecans, toasted
?/? cup chopped macadamia nuts
?/? cup chopped dates
?/? cup chopped dried apricots, dried sour cherries or golden raisins
Unsalted crackers (rye, whole-wheat, or whatever type you prefer)

Using a flat-edged cheese knife, scrape off most of the rind that covers the top side of the Brie wheel. Cut the Brie into five equal wedges and arrange them on a serving platter with the points of the cheese wedges facing outward to create a five-pointed star.
Gather the chopped walnuts in your hand and gently press them onto the top of one of the five wedges of Brie. Repeat with the remaining nuts and fruits, making sure to press only one type of each ingredient on top of a single wedge. Arrange the crackers inside the Brie wedges and serve.

Parmesan Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

Delicious and surprisingly easy to make, cheese straws make ideal fuss-free snacks and hors d’oeuvres. The basic recipe for twisted sticks of puff pastry lends itself to numerous variations, including these spiced Parmesan cheese versions. Set baked puff pastry straws upright in glass jars for a striking addition to an appetizer table. Makes approximately three dozen, 9-inch straws
1 17.3-ounce package prepared frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons paprika
? teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (3 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Open one sheet of puff pastry onto a cutting board. Refrigerate remaining sheet. Brush the surface of pastry lightly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the surface lightly with 1 tablespoon paprika (and, if desired, ? teaspoon cayenne pepper).
Using a very sharp knife (or a pastry wheel), cut pastry into strips ? inch wide. While holding both ends of the pastry strips, gently twist strips into corkscrew shapes. Place twisted pastry strips onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, pressing ends down onto sheet to prevent strips from unraveling.
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or overnight. Repeat cutting and shaping procedure with remaining sheet of puff pastry, 1 tablespoon paprika (and, if desired, ? teaspoon cayenne pepper).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer baking sheets to the oven and bake the puff pastry straws until puffed and lightly golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove puff pastry straws from oven and transfer to cooling racks.
While the straws are still warm, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let cool and serve. Cheese straws are best when served the same day, but they can be made in advance and stored overnight in an airtight container.

Herbed Cheese-Stuffed Tomatoes

These stuffed tomatoes can be prepared in advance and chilled until ready to serve. Makes three dozen hors d’oeuvres
36 red, firm grape tomatoes, about 1 to 1? inches in diameter
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus additional sprigs for garnish (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, plus additional chives for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, softened

Wash and dry the grape tomatoes. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut off the round bottoms from the tomatoes. Slice off the tops of the tomatoes and remove seeds and pulp from the interiors with a small melon-ball scoop or teaspoon. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Refrigerate tomatoes until ready to use.
Place garlic, basil, parsley, chives and rosemary in the bowl of a food processor. Process garlic and chopped herbs for 15 seconds. Add cream cheese and goat cheese to the bowl. Process cheese mixture for an additional 30 to 45 seconds or until the mixture is smooth.
Transfer cheese mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe mixture into each of the grape tomatoes. Garnish the top of each tomato with a sprig of parsley or a sprinkling of chopped chives, if desired. Transfer stuffed tomatoes to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grilled Scallops with Maple Glaze

This appetizer is simple to put together and fast to cook. Makes 8 servings
2 pounds (about 18) fresh sea scallops
1 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons snipped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions, white and light-green parts only, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunk

Rinse scallops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Halve any large scallops.
To make the maple glaze for the scallops, combine maple syrup, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Transfer ? cup of the glaze to a separate bowl to use for basting. Reserve remaining glaze until ready to serve.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill, arranging coals for direct cooking. Wrap the slices of scallions around centers of the scallops. Thread scallion-wrapped scallops onto six 10-inch bamboo skewers, alternating with the red bell pepper chunks. Grill scallops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until scallops become opaque. While grilling, turn and brush scallops and peppers once with the maple basting glaze. Serve grilled scallops with the reserved maple glaze.

Mini Hors d’oeuvres Pizzas

For a Mexican version, substitute refried beans, cheese and salsa for the Italian toppings. Makes 12 pizzas
1 13.8-ounce tube refrigerated pizza crust dough
5 tablespoons homemade or canned tomato sauce
? cup chopped walnuts, pecans or pine nuts
? cup grated or crumbled cheeses, such as mozzarella, Parmesan, feta, gorgonzola, Monterey Jack or cheddar
? cup sliced olives, pitted
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll pizza crust dough onto a cutting board and cut dough into circles with a 3-inch-round biscuit cutter. Place dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Spread tomato sauce onto the tops of the dough rounds. Sprinkle dough rounds with desired nuts, cheeses and olives.
Bake pizzas for 8 to 10 minutes or until toppings are heated through. Remove from oven and let pizzas stand for 1 minute before removing from baking sheet. Garnish each pizza with a sprinkling of chopped basil.

Glacier Punch
This is a non-alcoholic version of the old party favorite, Glacier Punch. Makes about 14, four-ounce servings
23 ounces white cranberry juice, chilled
10 ounces sparkling water with citrus or tropical flavor, chilled
1 750-ml bottle sparkling apple juice or sparkling apple cider, chilled
1 Raspberry Ice (recipe follows)

In a medium punch bowl, combine cranberry juice, sparkling water and apple juice or apple cider. Top punch with chunks of Raspberry Ice. Serve each glass of punch with a portion of Raspberry Ice.

Raspberry Ice

Place 2 cups water in the bottom of a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the surface of the water evenly with 1 cup of fresh raspberries and ? cup of fresh mint leaves. Transfer baking pan to the freezer and freeze for about 3 hours or overnight.
To unmold, remove baking pan from freezer and allow pan to reach room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove ice from the pan and break into medium chunks. Place ice chunks in the punch just before serving.