Holiday Drink and Snack Recipes

It appears that the holidays are upon us, and I have done little to nothing in preparation. I checked the pantry and freezer and the stash of liquor in the bar cabinet. Not too bad.

While it was rather late to try to hostess a cocktail party, there was still time to invite the neighbors for a drinks and num-nums. My mother coined this phrase whenever she had to prepare pick-up foods for a festive gathering. Her take for casual affairs was that the food had to be easy to pick up, so no plates, forks or knives. She always had a stash of cocktail napkins with holiday themes. The food had to be served cold or at room temperature so she wouldn’t be stuck in the kitchen while everyone else was having fun.

My bar is usually stocked with vodka, gin, bourbon and scotch with lots of mixers so anyone can belly up and prepare their own mixed drinks. Beer and white wine is always in the under-counter fridge. And for some reason, there’s plenty of red wine lined up behind the bar.

But why not offer a couple of warm holiday drinks in case the weather is nippy?

Holiday Drink | Rum Toddys

Personally, my favorite rum is Meyers’s dark rum but any dark rum is fine.

3 (6-ounce) cans pineapple juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
¼ cup molasses
½ cup dark rum
Cinnamon sticks (broken in half) for garnish

Combine the pineapple juice, lime or lemon juice and the molasses in a saucepan and cook over look heat. Remove from the heat, add the rum and serve in small cups garnished with the cinnamon sticks. Makes about 6 servings

Num-Num | Sesame Cheese Straws

Tip: I like a little jolt in my cheese straws, so I add more cayenne and a bit of smoked paprika.

½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (2 1/4-ounce) jar sesame seeds
½ cup softened butter
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Allow the cheese to reach room temperature. Toast the sesame seeds in a heavy skillet, stirring constantly over low heat until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool.

3. Combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt and cayenne pepper and work the dough until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Add the sesame seeds.

4. Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut into 4 ½-inch strips. Bake on a baking sheet until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

5. Remove and cool on a wire rack. They can be stored in an airtight container for two to three weeks. Makes about 5 dozen

Num-Num | Artichoke Balls

These are easy to assemble and can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until time to serve.

3 garlic cloves, pureed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (8-oz) cans artichoke hearts in brine, drained and mashed
2 eggs slightly beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan
¼ cup grated Romano
¾ cup Italian bread crumbs

1. Cook the garlic in the oil over medium heat. Add the artichokes and eggs and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add ½ cup bread crumbs and ½ cup of cheese (combined).

2. Roll into balls using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture. Roll in mixture of ¼ bread crumbs and ¼ cheese. Chill until firm. Makes about 4 dozen

Holiday Drink | Brandy Mocha

You can make this beverage in the microwave.

2 cups milk
1 ounce square semisweet chocolate, grated
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
¼ cup brandy
Sweetened whipped cream

Pour the milk into a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in about four tablespoons of the grated chocolate, the sugar and coffee granules. Add the brandy and pour the beverage into cups and top with whipped cream and the remaining grated chocolate. Makes about 6 servings