Easy hors d'oeuvres brighten holiday meals

Hors d’oeuvres, hot or cold, are so welcoming on a buffet table, for snackers to help themselves. Generally, there will be crackers and cheeses, veggies and dip, and bowls of nuts. To add to those easy delights, here are some more options. The first is served hot.

Stuffed Mushrooms

24 large fresh mushrooms, about 2 inches in diameter, cleaned

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon (or less)

Tabasco pepper sauce

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs (or crushed flavored croutons)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

Carefully remove stems from mushrooms, reserve caps. Chop enough stems to make 1 cup.

Cook and stir chopped stems, onion, garlic and pepper sauce in large skillet over medium-high heat until tender. Remove from heat, stir in bread crumbs and cheese.

Spoon mixture into caps, place on baking pan or cookie sheet; bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.

Instead of buying a cold, hard shrimp ring, take the time to make quick and easy sauteed shrimp from raw shrimp in the shell, and make a big platter of piquant shrimp that’s good warm or cold. Here’s how.

Shrimp Platter

2 or 3 pounds medium/ large shrimp in shell

1 can beer (for frozen shrimp only)

Butter

Coconut (shredded, not flaked)

■ If shrimp are frozen, toss them into a large saucepan with the contents of a can of beer. Turn on heat to high, and when the beer comes to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let set till shrimp are uniformly bright pink (only 30 seconds or so!). Drain into colander and when cool enough, peel, including tails.

■ If shrimp are fresh, peel as is, and do not cook in beer.

■ For all shrimp: Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat, and quickly toss shrimp to coat, removing immediately with a slotted spoon to a pie pan filled with grated coconut. Do this in increments as necessary until all shrimp are evenly coated with coconut.

Turn heat up under frypan, add enough butter to cover bottom, and toss shrimp in increments, sautéing and turning quickly until golden. Add more butter as necessary each time, removing shrimp to platter as cooked.

Serve hot or cooled alongside a bowl of fruit, or this following dish for a delectable Oriental touch.

Note: As shrimp cools, set platter on a bed of ice.

Gingered Pineapple

3 8-ounce cans pineapple chunks, drained (save juice for other use)

1 medium orange

1 teaspoon grated or finely minced preserved or candied ginger

Put pineapple chunks in a medium glass bowl. Grate 2 teaspoons orange peel from orange, sprinkle along with ginger over pineapple.

Cut orange in half and squeeze juice (about 1/4 cup) over the pineapple. Stir gently. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Unique and excellent with hot or cold shrimp.

Now, on to dessert.

Purchased frozen puff pastry shells and pudding mix are simple ingredients for an elegant holiday treat.

No one has much time for extra cooking over the holidays, but everyone loves an elaborate dessert. What to do? Mix ingredients on hand with pre-made items for a winning combination. In this classic from Pepperidge Farm, this quicktime desserts makes holiday entertaining easy.

Easy Fruit Shells

(Serves 6)

1 package frozen puff pastry shells

1 3 1/2 ounce vanilla instant pudding mix

2 cups milk

2 cups cut-up seasonal fruit — bananas, grapes, kiwi, melon, etc.

Whipped cream

Bake pastry shells according to package directions. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.

Prepare pudding according to package directions; spoon about 1/3 cup pudding into each pastry shell. Top with fruit of your choice and a good dollop of whipped cream.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving time (up to 4 hours).

Tip: Use your own pudding, lemon or lime meringue pie or other fruit filling, garnished as you wish, and topped with whipped cream for any number of delectable variations.

Finally, if you want to get a jump on making Christmas candy, here’s a fantastic fudge that’s easy to prepare, with no candy thermometer needed!

Butterscotch Walnut Fudge

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

7 ounce jar marshmallow cream

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups butterscotch chips

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil. Spread 3/4 cup of the walnuts in an even layer on the foil.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the marshmallow cream, sugar, canned milk, butter and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Boil mixture, stirring continually for 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; stir in the butterscotch chips, stirring until they have melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup of walnuts evenly on top, gently pressing with a rubber spatula to imbed into the fudge.

Chill in the refrigerator 2 hours or until firm. Then, turn out of the pan, remove foil and cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.

Just for kids, Dads and Grandpas — not to mention the weight-watching family members — this is the quintessential Christmas cake one dreams of: Chocolate, maraschino cherries, pecans; a sugarplum dream come true!

Bonus: it’s easy to make!

Chocolate Fudge Glacé Cherry Cake

1 cup butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups (24 ounces) glacé whole red cherries

1 1/2 cups pecans (or walnuts) coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Mix in brown sugar until blended; beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Stir in cherries and nuts.

Spread mixture into greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake about 35 minutes or till top springs when touched.

Cool in pan on wire rack for one hour; then invert onto wire rack and cool completely.

Cut into thin slices or small squares to serve.

This cakes pairs well with vanilla ice cream.

(Editor’s note: For many years, Valle Novak has written gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. “Weekend Gardener” and “Country Chef” became renowned for their humor, information and common sense advice on how to do everything from planting to cooking. While she recently retired, she has shared a number of columns to delight her many fans. This is a compilation of such columns which ran in December 2007.)