We've teamed up with Ashley and Marla of The Wine Pact to bring you two festive appetizers, one wild and one refined, guaranteed to impress your dinner guests and have them asking for more.
As the weather turns colder and the days become shorter, we feel the energy and excitement of the holiday season! We love hosting our friends and families for the holidays. We cherish the opportunity to showcase some of our favorite wines and try out new recipes as well as classic favorites to find that perfect pairing. Although, we know the holiday season is so much more than food and wine. We also know food and wine highlight the magical moments! It makes the holidays sparkle. It brings festiveness. It brings joy.
We are going to share with you two of our favorite festive crowd-pleasing pairings that will be sure to have your guests impressed and coming back for more.
Candied Bacon Pops paired with Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet
Baked Brie Cranberry Bites paired with Private Reserve Cabernet
The best part about these two holiday appetizers is that not only are they amazingly delicious, but they also pair well with a variety of Beringer wines. The composed richness of the brie and cranberry or the sweet and salty of the candied bacon, both bring out amazing characteristics of a good wine! Whether you're hosting a gathering or attending as a guest, these two holiday appetizers bring the party to the table while highlighting the magical moments!
These appetizers are easy enough that if you happen to not be hosting, you can just pack them up and show up at a holiday social! We recommend that you place them on a decorative plate to match the party, are you going with wild or refined?
Candied Bacon Pops Paired with Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
The second appetizer that will absolutely be a hit are these candied bacon pops! Because really?! What meat eater doesn’t like bacon? Add bacon and melted sugar? Yes, please! You might want to make extra.
Ok, seriously though this might be the easiest holiday recipe ever! There are only two ingredients for this appetizer recipe and that is thick sliced bacon and light brown sugar. You will also need skewers if you are making “pops”.
Go ahead and preheat oven to 400 degrees. These only take 10-15 minutes but you want to make sure the oven is hot before placing the bacon in.
While this recipe is easy, the details are not to be overlooked. You will absolutely need thick sliced bacon, otherwise it will fall apart while ribboning. First you take the bacon out of the packaging and cut in half horizontally. Then, you take one slice of bacon and weave it onto a skewer. It should look like a ribbon on one side of the skewer. You place this on a cookie sheet. (We also use parchment paper because this tends to get sticky after you bake) fill the cookie sheet laying all the bacon down on opposite sides so that one pop doesn’t touch the other. You then want to take a pinch of light brown sugar and sprinkle it over the pops laying on the cookie sheet. You will probably need about a teaspoon of sugar for each piece of bacon. The next step is to place cookie sheet in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The bacon will come out hot and shiny! Be careful, not to burn yourself!
Once the bacon has cooled, gently remove the bacon pops and place them on serving dish. Although, we like to serve these in a fluted champagne glass so that the bacon pops stick out of the top. The candied bacon actually has a sparkle to it under light, and it will look super festive!
Bake Brie Cranberry Bites Paired with Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
First, let’s start with what you will need, a sheet of puffed pastry, block of brie cheese, your favorite cranberry sauce, non-stick spray, and flour for dusting. Although this is a short list, it is important to buy quality ingredients, especially when it comes to the brie! Also, keep in mind, if you (or your guests) don’t like jellied cranberry sauce on its own, then it probably won’t be a big hit in your appetizer either. There are lots of options at your local grocery store or you can choose to reduce fresh cranberries as an alternative.
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. In addition to the ingredients, you will also need a (24) mini muffin pan, a rolling pin, pizza slicer or knife, and a cheese plane or knife. Start by dusting your counter top or cutting board with flour. Then, place your puffed pastry sheet on the flour and roll out slightly. This will help to bind the seams where it was folded as well as getting you a little more bang for your buck in size. After you’ve rolled your pastry dough, use the pizza cutter (or knife) to slice 5 vertical columns and then 5 horizontal rows. You should now have 25 pastry squares. Spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray and place the pastry square in each muffin space.
Next, use your cheese plane (or knife) to skim off the outer fluffy shell or skin of the cheese. Slice your block of brie into 24 pieces and place in the middle of each puffed pastry square. Spoon approximately a teaspoon of cranberry sauce on top of each brie piece. Place muffin pan into your preheated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. The puffed pastry should be golden and the cheese should be bubbly. It is easiest to remove from the pan before the cranberry brie bites cool. I like to use a small spoon to remove them from the muffin pan and plate them on my dish.
Once you have plated the cranberry brie bites, you can certainly just serve the bites the way they are, or you can add a pine tree or rosemary garnish to the side of the plate to make it sparkle and stand out. Just be prepared to have them disappear quickly as we have found they are a holiday party favorite!
Written by The Wine Pact, Ashley and Marla.
Friends, wine, and everything in between.
Find them at on Instagram @thewinepact
