Progressive Eats Easy Holiday Cocktail Party Recipes Round Up

I am a member of the Progressive Eats blogging group, but this month I couldn’t play since I’m away from home helping out my mom and dad after he fell and broke his kneecap. Since I couldn’t participate by baking or cooking this time, I want to be sure to share all my fellow bloggers’ recipes, including the wonderful Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian who took my place this month (thank you so much for your help, Susan)!

Progressive Eats is Barb’s (Creative Culinary) homage to the progressive dinners of the past, where each course would be served at a different home. I’ve been to a couple of progressive dinners, and they are so much fun. They do take a lot of time, however. Our cyber-version is a virtual progressive dinner where you can hop from blog to blog to enjoy each and every course!

This month, Barb hosted a Cocktail Party, and everyone contributed either a cocktail, an appetizer or a dessert. It’s a great line up, and since the holidays are fast approaching, I thought it would be helpful to share everyone’s recipes here.

Easy Holiday Cocktail Party Recipes

Cocktail Recipes

• Pomegranate Izze-Tini from Barb at Creative Culinary

This drink combines delicious and light Izze sparkling Pomegranate juice with vodka, limoncello and cointreau for a truly refreshing drink decked out in holiday colors. So elegant! Barb is also having a giveaway right now in honor of three years of Cocktail Friday posts! Just look at this beautiful French corkscrew. Schmancy! Click on the photo or the beverage link to enter for up to three chances to win this beauty!

• Cider-Bourbon-Ginger (Northern Spy) Cocktail from Lauren at Healthy-Delicious

For someone who doesn’t make a lot of mixed drinks, Lauren certainly nailed her spin on the Northern Spy Cocktail. If you are a Bourbon fan, you’ll love this sophisticated yet accessible cocktail with notes of apricot and ginger from ginger beer. Swoony!

• Orange Pomegranate Moscato Cocktail from Milisa at Miss in the Kitchen

With a pomegranate-citrus flavor profile similar to Barb’s cocktail, Milisa’s Moscato Cocktail is made without hard liquor. Think of this cocktail as more of an elegant party spritzer with Moscato wine, sprite and pomegranate juice. I love this cocktail for that reason–not everyone is a fan of hard liquor, but everyone wants to be able to enjoy a beautiful cocktail!

• Cranberry Martini from Anshie of Spice Roots

Talk about sophisticated! Anshie and her husband collaborated on this cocktail. Playing off the more savory notes of cranberry, this holiday-colored cocktail combines dry vermouth, Tanqueray, cucumber vodka and cranberry juice to elegant effect.

Appetizer Recipes

• Pepper Jelly Bites from Julie of Savvy Eats

It doesn’t get easier, or more delicious, than pepper jelly and cream cheese on crackers. It is one of my favorite small bites. If you’ve not tried it before, maybe now’s the time!

• Smoked Salmon Roses with Endive and Créme Fraîche from Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Talk about elegant! And easy–the beautiful presentation wows while the short ingredient list (only 5 ingredients!) makes this special appetizer more than manageable for even the most novice party host or hostess. Truly spectacular.

• Spanish Garlic Shrimp from Jeanette at Jeanette’s Healthy Living

Using garlic in three ways really ups the garlic punch in these fantastic shrimp appetizers. And with only 8 ingredients, this is another must-make for the harried party host!

• Pepper Jelly and Brie Phyllo Cups from Lana at Never Enough Thyme

Clocking in at only six ingredients, these phyllo bites pack a ton of flavor. A little sweet, a little buttery, a little spicy and a little bit crunchy, these easy appetizers truly are more than a mouthful! These little guys are perfect, especially for southern party hosts where it’s easy to find country ham.

Dessert Recipes

• Simply Caramel Chocolate Turnovers from Barbara at Barbara Bakes

Four ingredients–count them: four! Wrap your favorite bite-sized candy bar (Barbara used Milky Way Simply Caramel bars) in some phyllo and voila–an easy and elegant bite-sized dessert that’s perfect for a cocktail party. Nice!

• Pumpkin Coconut Cookies from Susan at The Wimpy Vegetarian

According to Susan, these cookies are “what happens when the girl next door you’ve know your whole life gets a makeover from the Kardashians!” Warm spices, a touch of citrus and sparkles atop of dollop of cream cheese icing make them the perfect dessert bite for a holiday cocktail party!

• Maple Cream Snickerdoodle Bars from Julie at Willowbird Baking

Bar cookies are so much easier to make than drop or shaped cookies, and these cinnamon-sugar gems get the cocktail party treatment with a swoop of stabilized maple cream. Easy to make, delicious and gorgeous!

 

And there you have it, friends! That’s this month’s menu of easy holiday cocktail party recipes–more than worthy of bookmarking for ideas and inspiration for your upcoming holiday cocktail parties.

Here are links to the other Progressive Eats events as well (the links will take you to the host’s blog with her post from that Progressive Dinner. From there, you can find links to the rest of the participants’ recipes):

• Summer in the South (July, hosted by Lana of Never Enough Thyme)
• Summer Barbecue (August, hosted by Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake)
• Tex-Mex (September, hosted by Milisa of Miss in the Kitchen)

With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

 

Thank you for spending some time with me today. I hope you have a lovely day.