Cook and whisk until slightly golden.
Whisk in cream, a little at a time, being careful not to let lumps form. Whisking regularly, bring to a boil and continue cooking until thickened.
Remove pot from the heat.
If there are any lumps, strain, using a cheese cloth or strainer.
Add salt, nutmeg and pepper.
Stir and let cool.
HORS D’ŒUVRES
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Ingredients:
1 pound large dried dates
Several slices Munster Cheese
1 pound smoked bacon
Directions:
Wrap each individual date with a strip of Munster Cheese.
Cut bacon strips in half.
Fry bacon strips in large frying pan. Blot bacon dry.
Wrap one hot bacon strip around each date and cheese.
Affix each bacon-strip to date and cheese with toothpick.
Bite the Beef
Ingredients:
1 pound beef tips, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Italian spice
1 cup dried tomatoes, chopped
½ cup fresh mango, puréed
Directions:
Sauté beef tips in butter.
Season with Italian spice and dried tomatoes.
Strain, then pat with paper towels, to reduce residual butter.
Return to pan.
Add puréed mango.
Stir until hot.
Remove from heat.
Bourbon Orange Glaze Shrimp Babies
Ingredients:
1½ cups shredded coconut
1 pound fresh cocktail shrimp
6 teaspoons bourbon
Juice from 2 squeezed oranges
½ teaspoon orange extract
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
Pre heat broiler to 350º degrees.
Broil shredded coconut until brown; do not leave unattended as it burns quickly.
Remove coconut from broiler.
Broil shrimp for 7 minutes.
Remove shrimp from broiler.
Combine broiled shrimp and broiled browned coconut; set aside.
In a small saucepan, add bourbon, orange juice, orange extract, brown sugar, butter, and ginger.
Simmer until thickened.
Pour over coconut and shrimp.
Spoon into glass serving dish.
Refrigerate.
Serve with a side of cream cheese (or some other garnish) and water crackers.
Chunky Artichoke Spread
Ingredients
2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups Neufchatel cheese
1 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup cream cheese
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes softened with olive oil
¼ cup green onions, diced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a baking dish and stir well.
Bake 30 minutes, or until golden & bubbly.
Serve with bread sticks, crackers, French bread, or apple slices.
Crab & Cucumber Puffs
Ingredients:
Pâté à Choux, unbaked (See Recipe for Pâté à Choux)
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
1 Tablespoon horseradish
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oriental spice
4 green onions, diced
½ pound fresh crabmeat, rinsed, drained and chopped fine
Cucumber slices, one per puff
½ cup sliced almonds
½ teaspoon paprika
Directions:
Make Pâté à Choux as directed.
Put Pâté à Choux in pastry piping bag.
Pipe bite-sized dollops onto a cookie sheet.
Bake according to pastry cooking directions, and set aside.
Let cool.
Slice cooled puffs in half, width-wise.
Blend cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth.
Stir in heavy cream, horseradish, black pepper, oriental spice, onions, and crabmeat.
Place one cucumber slice on the bottom slice of each puff.
Spoon crabmeat mixture onto cucumber slice.
Top crabmeat mixture with almonds.
Put top slice back on bottom slice of puff.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Crottin & Coconut on Baguettes
Ingredients:
2 packages Crottin cheese (light citrus flavor)
2 Tablespoons cream cheese, soft
1 cup sweet coconut, browned under the broiler
1 teaspoon Hawaiian spice
1 wiggle (1/16 teaspoon) NapaStyle® gray sea salt
A dash (1/16 teaspoon) pepper
Baguette slices
Directions:
Blend all ingredients, except baguette slices.
Refrigerate.
Spread on baguette slices.
Killer Compote
Be forewarned that though Durian fruit is fabulous-tasting, it is foul-smelling.
Ingredients:
½ cup chokeberries, cut in half
½ cup serviceberries, cut in half
½ cup huckleberries
½ cup cloudberries, cut in half
½ cup horned melon, de-seeded, peeled, chopped
½ cup Durian
Monstera deliciosa, pull individual fruits one by one
¼ cup Simple Syrup (see Recipe for Simple Syrup)
Directions:
Gently combine all ingredients but Simple Syrup.
Add