Cookie Exchange Menu

I love decorating for the holidays! Still working on getting my Christmas decorations up for the party next week, but I do have my menu, grocery list and TO DO list done.

Here's the menu I've decided on:

Caesar Salad Spears - Caesar salad made into finger food by serving on endive spears. Easy, elegant and can be made quickly at the last minute.

Hummus Stuffed Portobello Caps - Hummus, cream cheese and bell pepper stuffing. Can be prepared ahead and baked right before the party.

Sausage Stuffed Peppadews - Sausage, rice, olive tapenade and cheese stuffing. Can be stuffed the day before, refrigerated overnight and baked right before the party.

Spinach Phyllo Triangles - A version of family recipe for Spinach Pie but made into little stuffed triangles of phyllo dough. Can be made a day ahead and served at room temperature.

Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onion Appetizer - Baguettes topped with caramelized onion and gorgonzola cheese. The onions can be made a day ahead and reheated before assembly.

Tomato Tartlet - Roasted cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese spread on puff pastry. Puff pastry and tomatoes can be prepared ahead and kept at room temperature up to 8 hours.

Potato Cakes - Baked mini potato cakes with sour cream and chives. (These are last on my list. I always have one item that can be left out if I take on too much, but these are simple so they probably make it.)

I think this will be a good mix of flavors, temperatures, colors, shapes and textures. It's all finger foods, so no silverware required. These are a little more time consuming as they are all pre-assembled bites (I think that looks more fancy) but with time to prepare on Sunday, I should have enough time to assemble on Monday. I'm adjusting the recipes to allow for 2-3 pieces of each recipe per person. Plus we'll have cookies for tasting.

The only thing I haven't decided on is drinks. Hot cider or milk seems like an obvious choice, but I'll probably also have some wine and coffee/tea.

Don't worry, I'll be sure to post recipes, photos and comments!