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COCKTAILS, STAND-UP SNACKS AND PASS AROUND MORSELS MAKE FOR A CHEERFUL AND CHATTY GATHERING, WITH MOST RECIPES EASY TO MAKE AHEAD.

I can already hear the hubbub when I look at this menu: people are clinking glasses, toasting health and happiness and generally making merry. With most dishes easy to make ahead, you can relax and be the life of the party.

These nibbles have robust flavours and rich colours and are easy to serve at a stand-up gathering. Passing trays around, or arranging dishes on a serving table makes for a lively, friendly mood.

  • CHERRY MARGARITA
    Very cherry, slightly sweet and lemony lovely, this fruity cocktail is summer in a glass, with mezcal-sodden cherry-bomb garnishes adding flavour and finesse.
  • PEAR MULLED WINE
    Parties in cooler weather become extra cosy and chatty when accompanied by this warm spiced wine. The pears add fruity body and the peppercorns bring a little bite.
  • RHUBARB AND VANILLA RHUMBA
    Rhubarb is such a versatile vegetable – it’s a staple at breakfast, delicious in dessert and here it is stumping up as a key cocktail ingredient. There’s only a little sugar in this recipe, keeping the flavours tart and focused.
  • SWEET POTATO BLINI WITH CUMIN AND SESAME CRÈME FRAÎCHE
    If I have a tub of cooked blini at hand, I consider myself ready for a party. There’s nothing easier than laying these little pancakes on a tray and giving them a quick topping before passing them around. Blini are a Russian pancake, traditionally made with buckwheat, which makes them gluten-free, so long as gluten-free baking powder is used.
  • BLACK AND WHITE CHOCOLATE TARTUFO
    There’s only one problem with passing these around at a party. You’ll be mobbed by delighted truffle eaters wanting to tell you how amazing they are – and, yes, possibly hoping to sneak a second one. Coating the ice cream in melted chocolate is a bit fiddly but it’s absolutely, definitely worth it.
  • ROMESCO DIP
    I always feel like I’m cheating when I serve this dip, because it’s so delicious but so incredibly simple. Three smoked elements ensure a triple whammy of flavour: smoked almonds are the key ingredient, backed by smoky paprika and the softer smokiness of the capsicums – roast your own if you can.
  • MUSHROOM CAPPUCCINO
    Cute and tasty, these soups are a conversation starter as well as a sophisticated mushroom showcase, layering flavours in all their earthy glory. I’m not always a fan of truffle oil, but it really works here, highlighting the flavours of the fresh mushrooms. If you stumble upon actual truffles, they could be shaved over the top too.
  • SPICED NUT CLUSTERS
    There’s only one thing better than a spicy nut and that’s a cluster of spicy nuts. Adding egg white to the flavoursome tumble makes the nuts a little glossy and also helps them stick together. Grab, munch, party!
  • RICE CRACKERS
    One of the many pleasures of cooking with Thermomix® is making from scratch things that everyone else buys. That’s part of the joy of these crackers, made with raw and cooked rice, and painted with a sweet-salt glaze. Start by making the Furikake, a Japanese condiment that you’ll want to sprinkle over everything.
Hot Tips

Play music, keep the lights low and add splashes of colour with napkins and table runners.

Mix and match dishes with the Plan Ahead and Barbecue chapters.

TO SERVE:

My thinking with the cocktails is that there’s a summer drink (Cherry), a winter tipple (Pear) and a trans-seasonal one (Rhubarb) – of course, you may like to serve all three! Have drinks, Crackers, Romesco dip and the Nuts on hand when people arrive, then pass around the other savoury courses. Finish with the amazing Tartufo.

Make Ahead

1 WEEK
Cherry syrup for Margarita

5 DAYS
Tartufo (steps 1–3)

4 DAYS
Nut clusters, Tartufo (steps 4–8)

3 DAYS
Pear Mulled Wine, Rhubarb syrup, Tartufo (steps 9–12)

2 DAYS
Romesco dip, Rice crackers, Sesame crème fraîche

DAY BEFORE
Mushroom soup, Blini, Kibbeh mix, filling and assembly, Green tahini

SAME DAY
Cook Kibbeh, assemble Mushroom cappuccino

Hot Tips

Play music, keep the lights low and add splashes of colour with napkins and table runners.

Mix and match dishes with the Plan Ahead and Barbecue chapters.

TO SERVE:

My thinking with the cocktails is that there’s a summer drink (Cherry), a winter tipple (Pear) and a trans-seasonal one (Rhubarb) – of course, you may like to serve all three! Have drinks, Crackers, Romesco dip and the Nuts on hand when people arrive, then pass around the other savoury courses. Finish with the amazing Tartufo.

Make Ahead

1 WEEK
Cherry syrup for Margarita

5 DAYS
Tartufo (steps 1–3)

4 DAYS
Nut clusters, Tartufo (steps 4–8)

3 DAYS
Pear Mulled Wine, Rhubarb syrup, Tartufo (steps 9–12)

2 DAYS
Romesco dip, Rice crackers, Sesame crème fraîche

DAY BEFORE
Mushroom soup, Blini, Kibbeh mix, filling and assembly, Green tahini

SAME DAY
Cook Kibbeh, assemble Mushroom cappuccino

SET THE MOOD FOR YOUR PROGRESSIVE DINNER EVENT WITH DANI’S SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS

This playlist starts upbeat and toe-tappy and just gets more funky as it goes on. I’m imagining that it sets a fun and lively mood as guests arrive and start to sip, eat and enjoy, then the music steps up so that – maybe, hopefully, you never know – people start dancing. I mean, seriously, I don’t know how you could stop your foot from tapping during James Brown’s Soul Power. Listen here.

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