Appetizer Recipes, Snacks, Canapes, Hors d'Oeuvres

Your kids will love these fun quesadillas that look like real Jack 'O Lanterns. And the fresh, warm tortillas are a perfect match for melted cheese that oozes out the sides of this delicious snack. You can make the tortillas from scratch, or use pre-made ones. This recipe for quesadillas makes 3.

For HomeMade Tortillas:***

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons shortening or lard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup warm water
• ***Or you can use 6 pre-made tortillas and 1/8 cup water and a medium paint brush for the food coloring
• Orange food coloring (or red and yellow mixed to make orange)
• 2 cups white or yellow cheese, shredded

If making your own tortillas by hand, add orange color to the water until the color is very dark. In a separate bowl blend the flour, baking power, salt and shortening, with a pastry blender or back of fork, until it resembles coarse meal. When well combined, slowly add colored water until soft dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes. Separate into 6 portions and roll each one out approx. 1/8 inch thick. Place on a hot comal or a preheated skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until they begin to brown on each side.

For pre-made tortillas: Add quite a bit of orange food coloring to the water until it is a vibrant color. Use a paint brush to brush the water onto 3 of the tortillas. It should be just enough to get the color on, NOT MAKE IT SOGGY. Let the damp tortillas sit until dry and then continue with the directions below.

For 3 of the tortillas, use a sharp knife to cut out your Jack 'O Lantern face. This usually consists of a triangle nose and eyes and a mouth.

Place a whole uncolored tortilla on a comal or a skillet preheated over medium heat. Cover with cheese. Place a Jack 'O Lantern tortilla on the top and cook over low heat until cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.

About.com

Recipe borrowed from Ana Maria da Costa Vasconcellos All About Italian Food website. Ana says: "This recipe of Italian fried mozzarella is called, in Rome area, mozzarella in carrozza (that means mozzarella in coach... don't ask me why!), and it's considered typical from that area."

You'll need (4 people):

• 8 slices of stale bread
• a big firm mozzarella
• wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• some spoons of milk
• salt
• abundant oil to fry

How to do it: Put a slice of mozzarella between two slices of bread of the same size and shape. Pass these sandwiches on the flour, press to keep them compact and then merge the sandwiches into the whipped-up eggs with salt and a little bit of milk. Turn them often to absorb all the liquid, also from the sides.

Fry them in boiling oil (not smoking oil), 2 or 3 pieces per time, making them colour in both sides. Strain them and serve immediately. If you like it, you can add an anchovy fillet on each slice of mozzarella.

Phyllo.com

Minty Yogurt 'n Feta Dipping Sauce:

• ¾ cup cup Greek Yogurt
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese with peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons real mint jelly
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon dried Greek Seasoning

Samosas:

• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces ground lamb
• ¼ cup finely minced green onion (include some green top)
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon dried Greek Seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 12 sheets Athens Fillo (Phyllo) Dough (9 x 14)
• Butter flavored cooking spray

To prepare sauce, in a medium bowl whisk yogurt, feta and mint jelly together. Stir in mint leaves, lemon zest and Greek seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a heavy skillet, heat oil to hot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and onion; cook stirring often until lamb has browned-about 5 minutes. Add garlic, Greek seasoning and salt; cook 1 minute, stirring. Remove skillet from heat. Transfer lamb mixture to a bowl.

Place 12 sheets of fillo dough flat on a working surface and cut in half lengthwise. Cover dough with plastic wrap then a damp towel. Working with 2 sheets at a time and keeping remaining dough covered, spray one halved dough sheet with cooking spray. Lay another halved dough sheet over the top and spray with cooking spray. Place a tablespoonful of lamb mixture in the corner of the dough sheet and fold over to form a triangle at one end. Keep folding over in the same way to form a triangular package. Spray top with cooking spray and place seam down on baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining fillo dough. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until golden. Remove sauce from refrigerator, whisk and serve with samosas for dipping.

Recipe Contributed by Debra Beauregard, Buchanan, Virginia

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg white
• 2-½ tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 8 cups pecan halves (approx. 2 lbs.

Combine 1st 8 ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Add pecans, stir until evenly coated. Spread pecans in a greased 15x10x1-inch jellyroll pan. (Mom says the new Reynold's Release foil with cooking spray on it in the pan works well.) (THIS MOM AGREES!) Bake at 275°F for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove to waxed paper (must be dumped immediately onto waxed paper or sticks to pan foil). Cool. Store in airtight container. Yield: 9 cups.

Taylor's friend, Lindy's Mom's recipe. We love them and give as gifts. Real easy.

Recipe Contributed by Debra Beauregard, Buchanan, Virginia

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1 lb. sharp Cheddar Cheese, coarsely grated (preferably in a good processor) 5 cups
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• ¼ cup brown or yellow mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting

Special equipment: parchment paper

Blend together butter, cheese, and yolk in a food processor until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until just combined. Transfer dough (it will be very soft) to a bowl and chill, covered, 15 minutes.

Halve dough, then shape each half into a 12-inch log on a lightly floured surface. Wrap logs in wax paper and foil; then chill until firm, at least 4 hours.

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap logs and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices with a sharp thin knife, then arrange slices about 1-inch apart on baking sheets. Bake in batches, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer crackers to racks to cool, about 5 minutes. Line shets with clean parchment paper between batches.

Dough, once formed into logs, can be chilled up to 1 week or frozen 2 months.

Crackers, cooled completely, keep in an airtight container at room temperatuere 1 week. Makes 10 to 12 dozen.

VERY GOOD TO GIVE OR TAKE TO A PARTY!

When we first made these, they weren't crisp enough; were too light. Watch them, you may want to cook them 20 minutes, as ovens vary.

• 9 cups air popped popcorn
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup California Raisins
• 1 package (5 oz.) glazed pecans

Place popcorn in a large bowl and remove all unpopped kernels. Stir sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl. Spray popcorn liberally with non-stick cooking spray, tossing to coat evenly. Add raisins and pecans. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and toss until popcorn is well coated, adding more spray as needed. Yields: 12 cups.

This healthy and delicious treat reprinted from California Raisins add in Family Circle Magazine. Oct. 2009. For more delicious California Raisins recipes, visit LoveYourRaisins.com

Recipe Contributed by Laurie Dendler. This recipe was printed in the "Very Special Cooks" cookbook published by the Volunteer Services Council of St. Louis, Missouri.

• 1 loaf French bread
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 pkg. dry Ranch dip mix
• 8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
• Scallions, to taste

Slice the bread the long way, separate, then cut into 1-inch fingers. Mix cream cheese; dip mix. Spread on bread fingers. Top with cheese and scallions and broil until bubbly and brown.

Recipe Contributed by Michele Barry, Chesterfield, Missouri. This recipe was printed in "Very Special Cooks" cookbook from the Volunteer Service Council in St. Louis, Missouri.

24 paper-thin slices (4-inch rounds) Genoa salami (1/2 lb.)

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 325F. Arrange salami slices in 1 layer on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are crisp and beginning to curl, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer slices to a rack to cool. (They will crisp as they cool.)

Easy, steamed and delicious.....Makes about 50

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 egg, beaten to blend
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
• 1 10-ounce package gyoza wrappers**

For Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Place about 1 teaspoon filling in center of 1 wrapper. Bring edges of wrapper up and press into filling at 4 evenly spaced points, leaving some filling exposed at top. Press corners of wrapper into filling. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

Bring water to boil in base of steamer. Oil steamer rack. Arrange won tons on rack, spacing 1 inch apart. Set steamer rack in place, cover and steam until pork is cooked and wrappers are soft, about 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Resteam for 5 minutes.)

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients. Serve won tons immediately, passing dipping sauce separately.

**Japanese won ton wrappers available at oriental markets.

Serve the dumplings on the steamer plate set directly on a platter; or, with chopsticks, tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the finished dumplings to a heated platter.

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