Happy Anniversary Prince William and Kate! A Wedding Anniversary Party Menu

Happy anniversary, Will and Kate. To celebrate, I’m reposting Backyard Huppah’s kosher-fied version of the canapè reception Queen Elizabeth hosted for the royal couple following their wedding — and I’ve included recipes.

You can use this menu for your own hors d’oeuvre reception or cocktail hour. We’ve pared the number of canapes down from 23 to nine, creating a nice selection of savory and sweet, meat and parve, non-dairy and vegan. Most of the recipes have friendly make-ahead options for a self-catered affair for forty people, though you will need kitchen and serving help on the day.

If you’re feeling really nostalgic for the royal wedding, take a look back at William and Kate’s original wedding day canape reception menu.

Cheers!

Kosher Royal Wedding Canapè Reception Menu
Follow the links to the recipes:

• Roast Duck and Fruit Chutney on Fruit-Nut Bread (Meat) (In the original royal wedding menu, it’s Pressed Duck Terrine with Fruit Chutney)
• Poached Asparagus with Lemon Sauce for Dipping (Parve) (In the original: Hollondaise Sauce)
• Quails Eggs with Celery Salt (Parve)
• Wild Mushroom Phyllo Triangles (Parve, Vegan) (In the original: Wild Mushroom and Celeriac Chausson)
• Haddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole (Parve)
• Individual Yorkshire Puddings with Roast Beef and Horseradish Sauce (Meat)
• Gateau Opera (Parve)
• Mini Orange Almond Cakes with Raspberries (Parve) (In the original: Raspberry Financier)
• Chocolate Bourbon Truffles (Parve) (In the original: Dark Chocolate Ganache Truffle)

Recipe: Apricot Rolls for a Middle Eastern Wedding Menu (Vegan, Parve)

These traditional sweets add a Middle Eastern touch to a dessert buffet, hors d’oeuvres reception or, as Gil Marks, points out, a Middle Eastern wedding shower. The recipe comes from Mark’s treasure of a cookbook, The World of Jewish Entertaining.

Ingredients for Middle Eastern Apricot Rolls

Makes about 7 dozen rolls

• 1 pound (3¼ cups) dried apricots, washed and drained
• ½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• ½ cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds or unsalted pistachios

Instructions

1. In a food processor or grinder, grind or puree the apricots with the ½ cup sugar.
2. Sprinkle a large piece of wax paper with additional sugar and spread half of the apricot mixture on top of a ¼-inch-thick rectangle.
3. Arrange the nuts along one side of the rectangle, then roll up from the nut side. Repeat with the remaining apricot mixture.
4. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 days, then cut into slices.

Alternatively, mix the nuts into the apricots, roll into ½-inch balls (about 50 balls), and press an additional piece of nut on top of each ball.

Recipe: Traditional Spiced Almond Hors d’Oeuvre (Pareve)

In Hebrew, the numerical value of the word for nuts, egoz, is 17, the same as the value of the word tov, good. Which means that the two things are related to each other. Hence the prevalence of nuts, particularly almonds, in traditional Jewish wedding celebrations.

Spiced almonds also fit into very modern celebrations as a tasty hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail hour or hors d’oeuvre reception. They can be made a week before serving, which makes them self-catered-wedding-friendly.

This version comes from Gil Marks’ cookbook, The World of Jewish Entertaining: Menus and Recipes for the Sabbath, Holidays, and Other Family Celebrations. It’s a great go-to cookbook for celebrations large and small. Marks also includes in his book a more savory version with rosemary and cayenne pepper.

One of the great things about a cookbook collection is remembering how each book came to be on your kitchen bookshelf. I received this book as a gift after teaching for a few terms at the New North London Synagogue. I miss London! And as Shavuout approaches, I really miss the cheesecake at Paradise Bakery on Golders Green Road. Best cheesecake in the world, you used to be only a short walk from home. Sigh. Let’s see… does Mr. Marks include a cheesecake in his cookbook? He has two! I’m feeling better already.

Ingredients for Spiced Almonds
Makes 4 cups

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg
• 4 cups (20 ounces) almonds
• Optional: Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the oil, honey, and spices. Add the almonds and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast, stirring occasionally, until the almonds are golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead Option

Store the almonds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Recipe: Poached Asparagus with Lemon Sauce for Dipping (Parve, Non-Dairy Canape)

This is the fourth hors d’oeuvre recipe in our kosher-fied royal wedding canape reception menu. The total menu serves a 40-person reception.

Hollandaise Sauce is the traditional accompaniment to poached asparagus, but it’s made with butter, which eliminates it from our meat canape reception menu. I’m happy to let it go, because it’s also a bit of a pain to make. This lemon sauce is not only easy to make, it has a refreshing zingy taste.

The sauce is adapted from a recipe in The Martha Stewart Cookbook: Collected Recipes for Every Day. My copy of the cookbook was a gift right off the kitchen shelf of my fab friend, Ann. It’s a nice, thick cookbook filled with hundreds of useful recipes for entertaining. I think that all the hors d’oeuvre recipes in there are also in Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres: The Creation and Presentation of Fabulous Finger Foods, which I like for the photos.

Ingredients for Poached Asparagus with Lemon Sauce

Makes 60 hors d’oeuvres

• 4 pounds pencil-thin asparagus
• 1½ cups non-dairy sour cream substitute (be sure the label says “Parve”)
• ½ cup ground almonds
• Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
2. You might find it easiest to blanch the asparagus in batches. Blanch the asparagus in a large pot of boiling water until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Don’t overcook the asparagus or it will lose it’s pretty bright green color.
3. Remove the asparagus from the boiling water, drain it, and immediately immerse it in the ice water.
4. Drain the asparagus well. Store it in the refrigerator in plastic bags or in a container with plastic wrap on top of the asparagus. Put a paper towel or hand towel in the bag or container with the asparagus to absorb moisture.
5. Mix all the remaining ingredients together to make the dip.
6. Serve the dip in a bowl alongside the asparagus.

The next canape: Mini Orange Almond Cakes

Recipe: Quail Eggs with Celery Salt Canape (Parve/Vegetarian)

This is the second hors d’oeuvre recipe in our kosher-fied royal wedding canape reception menu. The total menu serves a 40-person reception.

Source: tradenote.net, a European quail egg supplier

Quail is kosher, and so are quail eggs. In fact, the Torah tells us that when the Israelites wandering in the desert cried out to God for meat, God sent them quail to eat.

Quail eggs with celery salt are often served as part of an English breakfast. They also make a filling, earthy canape. For breakfast they are usually served in the shell or with the shell half peeled off, but when serving them as reception finger food remove the shells entirely before you serve them.

Ingredients for Quail Eggs with Celery Salt

Makes 60 eggs.

• 5 dozen quail eggs
• 2 Tablespoons celery seeds
• 6 Tablespoons kosher salt (sea salt)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Garnish: Enough leafy herbs to generously line the serving basket or platter.

Instructions for Quail Eggs with Celery Salt

1. Boil half of the eggs at a time. Bring a large pot of water to boil over moderately high heat. Boil the eggs for 5 minutes. Rinse immediately under cold water.
2. Peel and dry the eggs.
3. Grind or crush the celery seeds, salt, and pepper together. Keep the celery salt covered and dry until ready to use.
4. For an attractive presentation on the buffet, put the peeled eggs in a basket or on a plate generously lined with leafy herbs. Put the celery salt in a bowl alongside the eggs.

Make-ahead Option

Boil the eggs a day ahead. Store in the refrigerator. Peel before serving.

The next canape: Parve Gateau Opera Dessert Canape

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Scrumptious Macaroon Recipe for Dessert or Hors d’Oeuvres Reception (Parve)

This week at Backyard Huppah, we’re all about hors d’oeuvre receptions, a great option for small weddings. We started with tips for Hors d’Oeuvre Receptions, and all week we’ll be posting hors d’oeuvre recipes for a 40-person reception. The menu will be kosher, and meaty (with vegetarian options), with make-ahead options for couples self-catering their reception.

See the full Hors d’Oeuvres Reception Menu

Macaroons are a traditional Jewish almond cookie. They are baked without a leavening agent, so they hit the table most often during Passover, but they make a great sweet tidbit in an hors d’oeuvre reception, either on a buffet table or passed on trays after the cake is cut. They’re also great for a dessert reception. These macaroons are chewier than the canned version, and they’re easy to make.

Ingredients for Macaroons (Parve)

Yields 36 cookies

• 2 cans (8 oz. each) almond paste
• 2 egg whites (extra large)
• 1 cup sugar
• 18 maraschino cherries

Instructions for Macaroon Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Break almond paste into small pieces and place into food processor or mixer. Add sugar and mix well.
3. Add the egg white and mix until moist and sticky, about 2 minutes.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto lined cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Alternatively, use a large pastry bag fitted with #6 star tip and pipe stars about 1½ inches.
5. Bake 20 minutes on middle shelf, move to upper shelf (about 4″ above middle shelf) for approximately 8 minutes until golden brown. Move parchment paper with cookies onto baking racks to cool. When completely cool, carefully peel macaroons off paper.
6. Store in airtight container.

Make Ahead Option

Macaroons can be made several days ahead and stored in an airtight container.

√ See the full Hors d’Oeuvres Reception Menu

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Bourbon Ball Recipe (Parve) for Dessert or Hors d’Ouevre Reception

This week at Backyard Huppah, we’re all about hors d’oeuvre receptions, a great option for small weddings. We started with tips for Hors d’Oeuvre Receptions, and all week we’ll be posting hors d’oeuvre recipes for a 40-person reception. The menu will be kosher, and meaty (with vegetarian options), with make-ahead options for couples self-catering their reception.

See the full Hors d’Oeuvres Reception Menu

This recipe comes from New Kosher Cuisine for All Seasons. The contributor, Sara Abramovitz, writes that her great grandmother brought this treat to America from Bohemia, where they were an important part of every simcha.

Serve them toward the end of an hors d’oeuvre reception, after the cake has been served. They would also be great for a dessert reception.

Ingredients for Parve Bourbon Balls

Yields 38-40 balls

• 1 3/4 cups parve vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1 cup peacan pieces (or substitute walnuts or almonds)
• 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey or rum
• 3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• Ground nuts, powdered sugar, cocoa, coconut, or instant coffee powder (optional)

Instructions for Bourbon Ball Recipe

1. Pulverize wafer crumbs very finely in a food processor. Place them in a large bowl.
2. Pulverize the pecan pieces in the food processor to very fine crumbs and add to wafers in the bowl.
3. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and work together first with a fork and then with your hands.
4. Form into balls about 1-inch in diameter. Roll in ground nuts, powdered sugar, cocoa, coconut, or coffee powder.
5. Balls can be served cold or at room temperature.

Make Ahead Option

The balls can be frozen for up to three months before they are rolled in the nuts or other finishing ingredients.

√ See the full Hors d’Oeuvres Reception Menu

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Pastry Puffs (Pate a Choux) Recipe for Hors d’Oeuvres (Parve)

This week at Backyard Huppah, we’re all about hors d’oeuvre receptions, a great option for small weddings. We started with tips for Hors d’Oeuvre Receptions, and all week we’ll be posting hors d’oeuvre recipes for a 40-person reception. The menu will be kosher, and meaty (with vegetarian options), with make-ahead options for couples self-catering their reception.

See the full Hors d’Oeuvres Reception Menu

These classic puff pastries make a great base for just about any sweet or savory hors d’oeuvre filling. Make 2 batches to yield enough puffs for 72-80 hors d’oeuvres.

The traditional recipe calls for butter, but this version uses vegetable shortening (or margarine) to make puffs that are parve and can be used with meat fillings.

Ingredients for Pastry Puffs

Makes about 40 small pastry puffs

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

These photos come from the fab food blog Sarah Cooks (http://sarah-cooks.blogspot.com). In her blog, Sarah shares her experiences cooking and baking her way through what looks like a delicious life.

Instructions for Pastry Puffs

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring water, vegetable shortening, and salt to a boil.
2. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with wooden spoon over flame until thick. When mixture forms a smooth ball and leaves sides of pan, remove from heat.
3. Add unbeaten eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
4. Preheat oven to 450°F.
5. Drop rounded tablespoons on greased baking sheet.
6. Bake in 450°F for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 375°F and bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until the puffs are rigid enough to hold their shape when you remove them from the oven.
7. Cool on a wire rack.
8. When cool, slice the top off of each puff and add the filling.

Make Ahead Option

Freeze baked puffs. Warm them in a 350°F oven.

√ See the full Hors d’Oeuvres Reception Menu…