My favorite New Year’s Eve parties include appetizers galore, lots of laughs, and champagne! Looking for some inspiration for this year’s menu? This Pear and Pancetta Goat Cheese recipe from the Gluten Free Blondie is terrific: easy to prepare, pretty to look at (though it won’t last long!), and tasty, with sweet pears, salty, crunchy pancetta, and creamy goat cheese.

And for those of you host/hostesses who’ve resolved to save money in the New Year, try these cost-cutting entertaining ideas without sacrificing any of the party fun:

• Make your New Year’s Eve Party a BYOA (Bring Your Own Appetizer) event.
• Serve champagne punch for midnight toasting.
• Consider starting the party around 10pm.
• For free entertainment, ask guests to write resolutions or predictions for the New Year and have everyone guess who wrote them.
• Place sparkly Christmas ornaments in a glass bowl or vase as a centerpiece or for decoration along the buffet.

Adapted from Clara Edd’s blog Square Pennies

Recipe: Pear Slices topped with Crispy Pancetta, Goat Cheese + Honey

Recipe adapted by Gluten Free Blondie from a recipe in Southern Living 

Ingredients

• 3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (about 12-14 slices)
• 2 to 3 firm Comice pears (you should get about 5-8 decent sized slices out of each pear)
• ½ lemon
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• Honey, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Separate the pancetta slices and place them on the baking sheet. They’ll shrink up quite a bit as they cook, so no need to leave much room in between. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the pancetta is darker in color and the edges are curled. Using the Zyliss Cook N Serve Tongs, move crisped slices to a paper towel to cool for 10 minutes.

Slice the pears in rounds about ¼” thick. We recommend using setting 3 on the Zyliss Easy Slice Folding Mandoline. The middle-most slices will have seeds in them. Use the Zyliss Paring Knife 3.5” to remove the seeds. Move the pear slices to a bowl and squeeze the lemon over them. Toss to coat (this will stop the browning process).

Arrange the pear slices on a serving platter. Top each pear slice with one piece of pancetta then a few crumbles of goat cheese. Drizzle with honey, and finish with a dash of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Every holiday party needs an easy and elegant appetizer to keep guests satisfied until the main event. This recipe from Chef Justine Kelly at The Slanted Door in San Francisco is just the thing: simple, pretty and delicious, with caramelized onion, apples and grated Gruyere cheese atop store-bought pastry. Your Zyliss 2in1 Handheld Slicer, 3in1 Folding Grater, FastCut Herb Tool and Pizza Wheel make prep work a snap and the results will impress your guests.

Caramelized Onion and Apple Tarts with Gruyere and Thyme

Recipe adapted by Williams-Sonoma from a recipe by Chef Justine Kelly, The Slanted Door, San Francisco 

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lb. yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 lb. tart apples, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 oz. aged Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh chives
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
• 1 package (1 lb.) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten with 2 Tbs. water

 Directions

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and the 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let the filling cool to room temperature.

Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and sugar and stir to coat the apples. Cook, stirring, until the apples are just starting to caramelize and have softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the onions and stir in the cheese, chives, thyme and the 1/8 tsp. pepper.

Cut the puff pastry into 2-inch squares and place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing the squares about 1 inch apart. Brush the pastry squares with the egg mixture and place a heaping 1 Tbs. filling in the center of each square. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the pastry is crisp underneath and golden brown on top, about 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the tarts cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature. Makes 32 tarts.

Whether you’re hosting your own Christmas Cookie Swap Party this year or attending as a guest, this White Chocolate Cherry Chunkie recipe from Paula Deen is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Filled with delicious pieces of white chocolate, macadamia nuts and cherries, these cookies are festively dressed in red and white and unique enough that Aunt Ruth won’t show up with the same eight dozen cookies!  Just double the recipe and you’re all set. 

White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen, All Rights Reserved

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup candied cherries, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add milk to the butter mixture and then add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Batter should be stiff.

In another bowl, combine nuts, cherries, and white chocolate. Then add to batter, stirring only to blend. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack.