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10 best canapé recipes

Finger food doesn't have to be complicated. Get ahead with your festive party planning with our list of the best Christmas canapé recipes, from golden pastry bites to simple skewers and spicy mouthfuls that guests will be fighting over.

'DIY' blinis platter
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'DIY' blinis platter

This is the ultimate Christmas party platter – pairing shop-bought blinis and crostini with homemade pâtés and dips is the ideal way to make a little effort go further. Guests can choose between smoky mackerel or creamy salmon pâté, can top crostini with chive cheese dip, or layer blinis with lemon crème fraîche and smoked salmon. With this DIY recipe, preparing an impressive Christmas party platter is easier than it looks.

  1. To make the mackerel pâté, flake the mackerel into a food processor. Add the other pâté ingredients and blitz until smooth but still with some texture. Season with pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Repeat to make the salmon pâté.
  2. Stir the lemon zest and juice into the crème fraîche with some seasoning. In a separate bowl, stir the chives into the soft cheese with some seasoning.
  3. Arrange the smoked salmon, extra dill, blinis, crostini and cornichons (if using) on a platter. Serve with the pâtés, lemon crème fraîche, chive cheese and lemon wedges.

See more Christmas party food ideas

View full recipe details
  • Ingredients
  • 120g pack smoked salmon slices
  • 133g pack mini blinis
  • 100g pack toasted crostini
  • cornichons, to serve (optional)
  • For the mackerel pâté
  • 225g pack smoked mackerel, skinned
  • 65g 50% less fat soft cheese
  • 65g 50% less fat crème fraîche
  • ½ lemon, zested
  • 1 tbsp chopped dill, plus extra to garnish
  • For the salmon pâté
  • 180g pack hot smoked salmon
  • 65g 50% reduced fat soft cheese
  • 65g 50% reduced fat crème fraîche
  • 15g chopped tarragon
  • 1 tbsp creamed horseradish sauce
  • For the lemon crème fraîche
  • 1½ lemons, 1 cut into wedges, ½ zested, plus 1 tsp juice
  • 100g 50% less fat crème fraîche
  • For the chive cheese
  • 15g snipped chives
  • 100g 50% less fat soft cheese