Chef Liss's Student Food Blog

So why not celebrate with Holiday Baking!

Im going to try my hardest for all of you, to find you the easiest things to bake in your student kitchens at home. Cookies that are easy to make, and bake at home, and that stimulate some sort of Christmas cheer. I say Christmas because I am Catholic, but Of course these are Holiday recipes.

Today, Instead of 3 cookie recipes to make up for my laziness, Im going to post some little Appetizer recipes that you can take with you to any parties you may go to, that are delicious, simple and always go down well with hungry friends!

Liss’s Special Cheese Ball

2pkgs Herb and Garlic Cream Cheese

9Basil leave, Chop 5 and leave 5 whole

12 Sundried tomatos (more of less depending on your taste), chopped

1 clove Garlic, chopped,

1/2 cup chopped Kalamata Olives (optional, some people dont love these as much as I do, Ive heard)

1/2cup Cashews, Chopped up small

In a mixing bowl, Mix together the cream cheese, chopped basil (setting the 4 whole leaves to the side), sun dried tomatoes and garlic until blended fully. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap, and lay the 4 leaves in the bottom. Now, spoon in the cream cheese mixture into the small bowl, wrap it tight in the plastic wrap and for a ball. Chill for 2 hour, until the cream cheese has set again. Before serving, roll in chopped cashews. Serve with crackers, pretzels and any other dip-able snacks

Liss’s Adaptation of Canadian livings Shot Glass Shrimp

From Canadian Living’s Holiday Issue 2009, in stores now.

30 Shotglasses

30 Shrimp

1/2cup Butter

4cloves garlic

1TSP Hot chili Flakes

1 jar Shrimp Sauce, spooned equally into the 30 Shot glasses to half fill them.

In a hot pan, heat up butter and garlic. Add in the shrimp, and while they are cooking, add in the hot chili flakes. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until they turn pink. In each shot glass, spoon 1tsp of the shrimp sauce, and then add 1-2 shrimp per glass. Serve as is in glass.

Liss’s Bacon Wrapped Dates

*Dates may seem a little … well, like an old persons food. But when stuffed with herbed and garlic Goats cheese and wrapped in bacon, they make the most perfect little finger foods.

30 dates

30 almonds

2 small packages of goats cheese

2 chopped garlic cloves

1tsp Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, and salt and pepper each.

15 slices of bacon, Halfed

30 toothpicks

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, spices and goats cheese. Take the dates, and with a sharp, small pearing knife cut a slit into the middle of them. To make this easier, fill a medium sized zip lock with the cream cheese mixture, and cut off the tip, forming a make-shift piping bag. Pipe a small amount of the cheese into the date, then shove in an almond into each, and wrap in bacon. Stick on a toothpick, and bake until bacon is crispy. Serve hot or room temperature, as long as the bacon is fully cooked.

These are three recipes for the third day of the holidays! Your guests will love how everything is homemade, and tastes wonderfully like the holidays!

Happy third day of Christmas, hope all of your French Hens are well!

Liss