Toasted Brioche Rounds with Creme Fraiche and Caviar

For larger parties, try using different types of caviar for a colorful and enticing platter.

Ingredients

• 1 one-pound loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 eight-ounce container creme fraiche or sour cream
• 2 ounces black caviar, or more

Directions

1. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 36 rounds of brioche from slices. Place 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet. Melt over medium heat. Add half the rounds; cook until golden, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and rounds. Let cool on a wire rack or paper towel. Store rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
2. Place a dollop of creme fraiche on each round, and top with caviar.

Baked Brie with Pecans

Toasted pecans and maple syrup complement the creamy Brie in this hors d'oeuvre. For the best texture, let the cheese cool before topping it with the syrup mixture.

This recipe is by Everyday Food reader Kathy Quinn of Montclair, New Jersey.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 45 minutes


Ingredients
Serves 8

• 1 small wheel of Brie or Camembert (about 9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• crackers or sliced baguette, for serving
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cheese on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate; cool about 20 minutes.

2. While cheese cools, place nuts on a clean baking sheet; bake until toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle nuts over cheese.

3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle warm sauce over slightly cooled cheese and nuts; serve with crackers or baguette.

Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-low. Add shallots and ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cranberries, sugar, vinegar, and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, until most of the berries have burst and mixture has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Maryland Crab Cakes

A base of small crabmeat with larger pieces folded in saves money invisibly. For a splurge, use all back fin and lump.

Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 pound small-size fresh crabmeat, such as special or claw
• 1 pound larger-size fresh crabmeat, such as jumbo lump or backfin
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons), plus wedges, for serving
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup fine saltine crumbs (from about 30 crackers)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• Tartar Sauce, homemade or store-bought, for serving

Directions

1. Heat broiler, with rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Keeping each pound of crabmeat separate, turn out onto paper towels; pick through to remove any shells or cartilage.

2. In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, egg, mustard, Old Bay, teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3. Add crumbs and small-size crabmeat to mayonnaise mixture; stir well to combine. Gently fold in larger-size crabmeat just until combined. Dividing evenly, form mixture into 8 cakes. (To make ahead: Arrange cakes in a parchment-lined container so they do not touch; separate layers with additional parchment. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.)

4. Place cakes on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with melted butter. Broil until golden brown and warmed throughout, 12 to 15 minutes (move to lower shelf if tops brown too quickly). Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

Banana Split Bombe

Who knew everyone's favorite split would grow up to be such a looker? Beneath a drizzle of chocolate lie stripes of vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio ice cream, all atop a surprise core of banana cake. Just try telling your inner child to wait for dessert.

Ingredients

Serves 12 to 15

• FOR THE BOMBE

• 2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened

•12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

•1 very ripe banana, mashed (1/2 cup)

•1 cup heavy cream

•2 pints pistachio ice cream, softened

•2 pints chocolate ice cream, softened

•Banana Cake

•FOR THE HARD CHOCOLATE TOPPING

•8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

•2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

•1/4 cup chopped pistachios, for garnish


Directions

1. Make the bombe: Spread vanilla ice cream in an even layer on bottom and up sides of a 5-quart heatproof bowl with a 9 1/2-inch-diameter rim. Ice cream should form a concave layer that comes up to the rim of the bowl. Freeze until set, about 20 minutes. Using an offset spatula, smooth the surface of the ice cream layer. Freeze again until very firm, at least 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, place chocolate and banana in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan until bubbles begin to form around edges. Pour over chocolate and banana, and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk until combined. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk until chocolate melts. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.

3. Spread chocolate-banana mixture in a thin, even layer over entire surface of vanilla ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Spread pistachio ice cream in a flat, smooth layer over chocolate-banana mixture, but not up sides. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

5. Spread chocolate ice cream in a flat, smooth layer over pistachio ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

6. Place banana cake over chocolate ice cream, top side up, and press gently until cake fits snugly against ice cream. (If vanilla ice cream and ganache layers extend beyond top of cake, trim them with a sharp knife.) Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight (or up to 3 days).

7. To unmold bombe, dip bowl in a larger bowl of very hot water or use a small kitchen torch to warm outside of bowl. Continue dipping or torching bowl until bombe releases when inverted onto a serving platter. Remove bowl, wipe ice cream drips off platter, and freeze until bombe is very firm, about 1 hour.

8. Make the topping: Place chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until chocolate and shortening melt. Let cool slightly, then slowly pour on top of bombe, spiraling in concentric circles to create a solid center with long drips down the sides. Sprinkle pistachios on top, and freeze until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.

9. Run a large knife under hot water, and dry well. Use it to slice bombe into wedges, as you would a cake, wiping knife clean between cuts.

Peppermint Hot Fudge Sundaes

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup, plus more to adjust consistency
• One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Best-quality vanilla ice cream
• Peppermint candy, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Combine heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Stir to combine, and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, and add chocolate and peppermint extract.
2. Whisk until the chocolate is melted. If necessary, adjust consistency with additional corn syrup. Serve over ice cream. Garnish with chopped peppermint candy.

Crab Puffs

Ingredients

Makes 2 dozen

• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup minced shallot (from 2 shallots)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces lump crabmeat
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/3 cup)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley plus 1/4 cup whole leaves, for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 tablespoons large brine-packed capers, rinsed and dried, for garnish

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Add milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking often, until mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add crabmeat, Parmesan, minced parsley, lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne. Remove from heat, and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet, and let cool completely. (Cooled mixture can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

3. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk eggs in a shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. Shape cooled crabmeat mixture into 1-inch balls. Working with 1 ball at a time, coat in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs. Transfer to rack. Repeat with remaining balls. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. Heat 4 inches of oil in a large, heavy pot until it reaches 375 degrees. Working in batches, fry crab balls, turning once, until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep oil at a steady temperature.) Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer crab puffs to paper towels to drain, and immediately season with salt.

5. Reduce heat until oil reaches 350. Fry capers for 1 minute, and using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry parsley leaves for 1 minute, and using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to paper towels to drain. (The capers and parsley may cause the hot oil to spatter when added to the pot.) Sprinkle puffs with capers and parsley. Serve warm.