Oooh, Annie's bite sounds delicious and allays my concerns. It would also be quick and easy to prep at home. The apricots would have to be succulent.

Viola, using a sturdy veg like celery as a base is also good idea.

DLM, it would be easy enough to test a cracker with cream cheese to see how it holds up sitting a few hours.

plump dried apricots split and filled withmascarpone and topped with a toasted pecan half.

These are terrible, stay away. I have taken them on a few occasions. I cannot tell you how they are received. Because, umm ... I eat the entire plate by myself. This involves some jockeying for position at the buffet, and even subterfuge, because I don't want to be thought a pig. It's all very stressful. You don't want this dilemma.

hahahahaha Mtn

I'm thinking English cucumbers would be the perfect base for the cream cheese and salmon.

I've made similar to Annie's Apricot bites using blue cheese instead of mascarpone.

Here are a few I have saved. Pepperoni or salami will be ok if you just keep these in a cooler before setting them out: Pepperoni roses I'm thinking I'd cut the pieces of meat in half to make them more one bite sized.

Salami stuffed green olives:

An easier to make one with deli meat.

Cranberry pecan goat cheese truffles

Salty Black and White Sesame Cookies

Ignore all the flags asking you to click on them to go to recipe. They are all ads. The recipe is on this page, down farther.

Can someone please post Annie's recipe, if there is one?

Split apricots. Is that the same as halving them crosswise? So one apricot would provide two bases? I'm thinking of making them, along with the salmon/cukes. Persian cucumbers would make nice smaller diameter bases.

Yes, one dried apricot split into two halves (how they usually come in the packages). A dollop of cheese (her mascarpone or I whip blue cheese so it's not crumbly) and a toasted nut on top. I use toasted pecans, some people use toasted walnuts. They really are good!

You can use any dried fruit, any spreadable cheese, any nut. I like apricot, mascarpone and pistachio best. Like, a lot.

So simple and pretty too.

I’ve made the dried apricot bites using chevre, a pecan half, and a tiny drizzle of honey.

Frozen phyllo cups are good for filling with lots of things. I do cheese and jam (my favs are brie and fig jam or bleu with strawberry jam). I generally run mine in the oven until the cheese is melted, but I think they would be just as good not heating them.

Pepper Jack Crackers are a riff on Cheese Straws

The final step, which I could not get in one screenshot, it to cut the crackers into 1.5” pieces while still warm and cool on wire racks. Keeps for 5 days in an air-tight container.

I'm so glad people enjoy the dried apricot combo! I like them too!

You could make caprese as the tomatoes don't need refrigeration and cheese can sit at room temp for a long time. Use toothpicks to spear cherry tomatoes with the little mozzarella balls (bocconcini) and some basil. Dress in olive oil with italian seasoning, S&P, or drizzle with a good balsamic vinegar. I served them below, or I've seen where people will cut the tomato in half and use the flat side as the base for the toothpick to stand up.

I really think toothpicks will be your friend here. You can do any combo you can think of fruits (think durable like grape/pineapple/melon/strawberries/blueberries) and/or vegetables (cuke, tomato, olive, cut green/red/yellow bell pepper) on a toothpick, with or without a cube of cheese or a hunk of deli meat (salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, ham cubes) that can be at room temp for awhile.

Think antipasto on a stick...

Kswl, you've hit exactly on a big logistical issue. Without a plate or table or third hand to tend to drips, the items need to be dry and popped into one's mouth in literally one bite.

Yes, and I have seen far too many randomly discarded toothpicks at events.

BTW, congrats on this exciting milestone!

Another question on the apricot bites. i am still not sure if you mean we should cut the apricot in half and then split the side and stuff with cheese or just dollop the cheese on top.

i am thinking of trying this next time i need an appetizer but will probably try this cheese instead of mascapone. and use pistachios as topping.

Dollop, not stuff.

When an apricot is dried, it becomes a small flattish disk. I have never cut them. I just put a dollop of cheese on the disk and place a nut on top. It is not too big for a single bite nor to messy for 2 bites.

I'd bring a bun warming basket....to put these in:Basket to hold warmth

Bite sized clam fritters. Link to recipe

Little pigs-in-a-blanket. Link to recipe

Well I actually do stuff. I slit the apricot from one edge through the inside to make a pocket, fill the pocket with marscapone (piping bag) and stand the nut in the cheese. It takes a bit longer but is less messy.. no chance the marscapone and nut will fall off the apricot. And before you ask me how the heck that happens….. two words: DS1 and DS2 😳

Thats great to know! The apricots I buy seem too small to imagine doing that with; I like the smaller ones because they truly are just one bite. But I will try that next time.

I do like bbstx posted. I don't bother trying to split apricots. I wouldn't think boursin would be as good as the mascarpone.

I have been to cocktail parties with dips for toothpick food and it doesn't get overly messy. And a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or olive oil isn't going to drip much...I'm not talking about a dripping soak, but just a drizzle. But I do agree that toothpicks can end up in all kinds of stray places...just like cocktail napkins...if you don't make obvious places for people to put their trash.

How about making a cheese straw recipe but coin/square-shaped instead of straws? I'm thinking maybe Triscuit size with a sprinkle of something on top, like a seed or dried, chopped fresh rosemary added before baking so it sticks.

Bluebell, I have a fantastic cheese and seed cracker recipe that I usually make in free-form triangles, but they might work as coin/square shapes. It would be very easy.

I experimented with some dried apricots and plain cream cheese as a stand-in for something more exciting, with some toasted pecans. I think this is a definite possibility. I split them and that's not gonna work. I've seen stuffed apricots online, treating them sort of like a mini fruit pita. It would be a bit more work but less messy for keeping.

I like mascarpone but I think the sweet apricots need a tangy counterpoint so I'm thinking of a blue cheese like gorgonzola.

Chèvre works very well with apricots

I've been making little samples for my daughter and myself. Although the apricot halves seemed soft, biting through them took a bit of pulling. Some people would pop the whole thing in their mouths (you know who you are), but it's a two-biter for me. I discovered pouring boiling water over them and soaking for 10 minutes softns them just to the easy biting point, but they still keep their shape. So that problem is solved. Tried cambozola cheese as a stand-in for gorgonzola, and it's okay. Maybe the luscious mascarpone is what I try next.

I just don't think I can do chèvre. I've been a hater until recently when someone brought figs with Laura Chenel chèvre brie to a party and I loved it.

The marscapone is delicious! You can whip it with the teensiest bit of vanilla if you want to be extra fancy and yummy.

Nothing drippy - my go to is cups. Wonton wrappers, phyllo, pastry, baked in mini muffin pans - filled with whtever your heart desires. I know that goat cheese is a huge thing at the moment, but I for one, cannot stand the smell or taste of it. I know a few people who would agree with me. I find cream cheese to be a more universally accepted base for appetizers.

Not a fan of goat cheese either, or any of the bleus….too strong.

Bunny, you can also do some with a more tangy cheese, like goat or blue or feta and some with a less flavorful one or mascarpone. It's really no more work. Blue cheeses are usually easy for people to spot or maybe little flag signs on each platter to i.d. the cheese. I've also whipped blue with cream cheese for easier handling (not crumbly) and a milder taste.

I didn't know that goat cheese was like cilantro. Some people like it. Some people hate it. I had some friends over recently and I made two quiches but one was a goat cheese, the other had to be something else! I'm a fan of all strong cheeses!

"Goat cheese" encompasses everything from those ubiquitous flavorless Sysco discs, to artisanal versions like Humboldt Fog.

I personally would not add vanilla to the mascarpone for this app. It is so rich, you don't want to add sweetness on top of that IMHO. I don't use a lot, to me it is almost glue for the nut

The texture issue is a function of the quality of the dried apricot, but your solution is a good one.

No to vanilla in this instance. It's meant to be more savory than dessert-y. I'm going to pick up some mascarpone and see how I like it. The only time I've ever made anything with it was the fab Caramelized Onion Galette (from Mtn) that brought the house down at a choir potluck.

The texture issue is a function of the quality of the dried apricot, but your solution is a good one.

Bunny, see if your grocery has dried apricots in the produce section. They are generally in a plastic tub or shrink-wrap on a flat tray. I generally find them to be a little better than the ones in the dried fruit section that are in reclosable bags.

So I had the apricots on my brain, planning to bring them to an informal gathering this evening. My daughter mentioned the glazed pecans so I thought why not.

It is super yummy. I used whipped cream cheese (because I am fancy like that).

The apricots were so variable in size. I think for the future I will try to find the more premium ones. Anyway it looks good, tastes good, and I'm happy.

Has anyone tried it with prunes? My daugher mentioned that and I might try it another time.

Just remembered spinach or broccoli "brownies". Not sweet, lots of cheese, some eggs and some flour. They are really good. https://www.theseasonedmom.com/aunt-bees-spinach-cheese-squares/

https://hungryhappens.net/broccoli-and-feta-brownies/

nekotish, thanks for those links. I have made something very similar to the spinach/cheese squares, only with artichoke hearts. I think spinach would be less messy and easier to cut into smaller squares.

@salonva I love Chicken Marbella and used to make it quite frequently when I had guests for dinner. I discovered that most were put off when they learned the dish contains prunes. I’m not sure I would do a prune appetizer, even if you called them ”dried plums’ as they are now being marketed. I love prunes and always have loved them, but for so many people prunes are identified with (how do I put this delicately?) GI issues of the elderly.

bbstx, Chicken Marbella is one of my favorite dishes. It's so easy and perfect to make for a lot of people. Last time I took it to a Tables of 8, nobody quailed at the prospect of prunes. They're easily avoidable if one is put off by them. My DD has an iron constitution and can eat them by the handful.

Are cucumber sandwiches on rye squares too old-fashioned?

They are delicious and travel really well:https://sweetphi.com/4-ingredient-fancy-cucumber-sandwiches/

I actually ran out and bought more dried apricots to fill in. I can report that they were a big hit.

I thought about getting prunes and trying them and still might sometime but I think the apricots were amazing. The platter was much more filled in when I brought it, and I brought home the empty platter. What a super easy treat and it does look so nice. In my opinion, it's both an hors d'oevre and a dessert.

I am going to try that cheese and spinach bars at some point.

The apricot bites are fantastic on their own but I would not call them savory— at least mine have not been, even without vanilla. The sweetness of the apricots one uses must be the difference? In whatever form they are a crowd pleaser. Glad they were a hit for you, salonva, I’m sure they were delicious. Regular cream cheese is a bit more tart than marscapone, and buying it already whipped is a great idea I’ll try for Christmas!

Those spinach bars’ recipe sounds like mini crustless quiches, another great idea.

Back in the 90’s, bacon wrapped prunes or dates were a staple at cocktail parties. That combination of sweet and salty is a great foil for drinks but I suppose they’ve fallen out of favor. We love prunes and they make a regular appearance around here in oatmeal and in lekvar prune butter on toast.

Okay, I would probably make spinach cheese phyllo triangles and have them reheat them. Or even bake them. They don't take that long. I've made these for large groups before and they're also great at room temperature. I think they would be fine to sit for 2 hours before baking and they would travel well. On the flip side. They take a long time to make.

However, you can make them ahead and freeze them un baked and then bake them straight from the freezer. It's hard to go wrong with these. There's so much butter in them that they're just fabulous..

I think of the apricot recipe as more of formula:

Dried fruit,

Spreadable cheese,

Nut

The only constraints are structural

honibaker, I don't think anything that tastes good is too old-fashioned. Those sandwiches look delicious. Since the reception will be around 8:30pm we're assuming folks will be a bit ravenous. Without plates to set things down, we need something 2 bites max.

Dried apricots are very sweet, but I like a salty component to liven it up. I'm sold on a toasted pecan on top but will keep looking for the perfect cheese layer. More than cream cheese. The bleu cheese wasn't what I'd hoped for. Next up, mascarpone.

I bought two boxes of mini quiches from Costco, so will probably not do another cheese baked thing.

The kitchen staff will probably do better with already cooked things that only need a few minutes' reheating, rather than keeping track of an entire bake.

We always have the spinach cheese "brownies" for Christmas Eve ... they arent fancy but they are a great option for those of us who are trying to avoid the cookies, fudge and lil pigs in a blanket the kids always want!

Many of us cannot eat soft cheeses so I'll be looking for other savory bite ideas.

One that I have made in the past is chicken breast pounded thin and then rolled around a stuffing of spinach, parmesan and shallot. Roast them and then sliced. They are pretty white and green spirals that look great on a platter.

Dried apricots are very sweet, but I like a salty component to liven it up.

I've never done this, but I always thought these would be good w the apricot/mascarpone. I serve them on the side with roasted yams or in a salad (or by furtive handfuls. they are sooooo good).

Yup -- I bought the seasoned pecans... so it was all that. They also had one that was more salty . It really added a nice punch.

I have a honey chipotle pecan recipe (courtesy of CindyMac) and they are to die for. They deserve their own serving dish, but the TJ ones already done might work. But then, I have 2 pounds of pecan halves that I probably should utilize.

Funky, I didn't know some people can't eat soft cheeses. How soft is soft?

Timely- I'm going to a pot luck lunch on Tuesday and will be doing some iteration of the apricots-cheese- nut. It really has been a success when I did it a few times last year.

The beauty of it is it's really no fuss no muss no heating required .

I do love those!

I don’t know if these have been mentioned, but small balls of you favorite soft cheese or combo of cheeses or just cream cheese, rolled in chopped dried cranberries and toasted chopped nuts. Pistachios are great, but maybe the red and green leans more Christmas. For thanksgiving, chopped dried apricots and pecans, or pistachios. Stick a small twig of fresh rosemary in each one to form a stem/ handle. Or a sturdy pretzel stick. Here are both apricot and cranberry versions:

Eta, I forgot this was an old thread and I posted these before, lol