Try these appetising Christmas snacks

These appetisers and festive party recipes are delicious and easy to prepare for Christmas and the holiday season.

Spicy party nuts

With this recipe, you’ll get beautiful, perfectly frosted nuts that are roasted evenly, with no bitter burned spots.

You will need:

• Cooking spray.
• One cup untoasted walnut halves.
• One cup untoasted pecan halves.
• One cup unsalted, dry roasted almonds.
• One cup unsalted, dry roasted cashews.
• One teaspoon salt.
• Half a teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
• A quarter teaspoon ground cumin.
• A quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper.
• Half a cup white sugar.
• A quarter cup water.
• One tablespoon butter.

What to do:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and lightly coat it with cooking spray.

Combine walnut halves, pecan halves, almonds, and cashews in a large bowl. Add salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper; toss to coat.

Heat sugar, water, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted. Cook for one minute and remove from heat. Slowly pour butter mixture over the bowl of nuts and stir to coat.

Transfer nuts to the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer.

Bake nuts in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Stir nuts until the warm syrup coats every nut. Spread into a single layer, return to the oven, and bake until nuts are sticky and roasted about six minutes. Allow cooling before serving.

Jalapeno poppers

These hot and spicy appetisers will be a hit for your guests.

You will need:

• 20 fresh jalapenos.
• 60g cream cheese, slightly softened.
• 500g bacon, slices cut in half.

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep. Cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white. Smear cream cheese into each jalapeno half and then wrap with a bacon piece, half a slice. Place on the rack in the baking sheet.

Bake until the bacon is sizzling and done. Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Warm spinach and artichoke dip

Instead of buying already made dips from the store, why not try this homemade dip.

You will need:

• One tablespoon canola oil.
• A cup and a half finely chopped onion.
• Three cloves garlic.
• 28g artichoke hearts.
• One packet frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
• Half a cup sour cream.
• Two tablespoons mayonnaise.
• Half a cup cream cheese.
• Half a cup grated mozzarella cheese.
• Half a teaspoon salt.
• A quarter teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.
• Pita wedges for serving.

What to do:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, four to five minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional three to four minutes, or until onions are light-golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine the artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Fold vegetable puree into onions, and then spread into a glass square baking dish which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with pita wedges.

*Information obtained from www.foodnetwork.com.