< Previous30 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2022 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2022 31 SEASIDE SOIRÉE A VERY COASTAL CHRISTMAS Islanders whip up their favorite appetizers for a holiday cocktail party photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T o celebrate the beauty of the Texas coast this holiday season, we asked Martha Justice, a cookbook author, and Suzanne Little, whose family owns historical island gift shop Murdochs, to set the scene for an elegant cocktail party. Little’s beauti- ful island home was the setting for the Christmas party featuring coastal appetizers and a selection of fine wines. SUZANNE’S SHRIMP SALAD 1½ pounds medium shrimp peeled, deveined and boiled 2–2 ½ minutes 1½ cups quality mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar ¼ cup chopped fresh dill 2 tablespoons capers, drained and diced 2 tablespoons small diced red onion ¾ cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients except shrimp. When shrimp are cool, add them to the sauce and toss. Chill for 2–3 hours. To serve, place a scoop of salad on lettuce of your choice. Serve with avocado wedg- es and lemon. Salt and pepper over salad. Serve with butter mini croissants. (Above) Suzanne Little and Martha Justice teamed up for an elegant coastal cocktail party featur- ing their favorite appetizers. (Opposite) Their festive coastal arrangement includes potted tropical plants along with white sand dollars, starfish shells and coral. Sprigs of poinsettias with shiny Christmas balls and stems of red beads add Christmas sparkle.32 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2022 SEASIDE SOIRÉE CRAB CAKE BITES Makes: 25-30 ½ cup mayonnaise 1 large egg 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1½ teaspoons Old Bay seafood seasoning 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Dash of salt, to taste 2 (8-ounce) containers refrigerated lump crabmeat (check for shells) 2 ⁄ 3 cup panko breadcrumbs TROPICAL CHEESE BALL Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with parchment. Whisk together mayonnaise, egg, chopped parsley, chives, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, Old bay seasoning, lemon juice and salt until well blended. Carefully fold in bread- crumbs and crab meat so as not to break apart the crab. Shape mixture into 25-30 1½-inch balls. The mixture can be covered and refriger- ated up to one day. bake 16–20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm straight from the oven with lemon slices, tartar sauce or cocktail sauce and sprigs of fresh parsley. Soften cream cheese. Gradually stir in pineapple, 1 cup of the pecans, green peppers, onions, seasoned salt and chill. Form into a ball and roll in remaining 1 cup of chopped pecans. When ready to serve, place on festive round platter and surround ball with a row of fresh parsley. Trim pineapple slices into wedges and place around the cheese ball and garnish with maraschino cherries. Serve with buttery crackers. CURRY DIPPING SAUCE FOR CRUDITÉS Makes: 1 cup ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt 1 tablespoon curry powder ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon sriracha or hot sauce (for spicy) ¼ teaspoon sea salt Stir all ingredients together and let set in the refrigerator several hours or overnight. Arrange with a medley of col- orful vegetables for dipping. Serves: 12 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 2 cups finely chopped pecans, divided ¼ cup finely chopped green pepper 2 tablespoons finely grated onion 1 tablespoon seasoned salt Garnishes: Pineapple slices, maraschino cherries and fresh parsley COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2022 33 Sand dollar holiday ornaments are favors for the party guests. The design etched by nature on sand dollar shells often is said to tell the story of Christmas peace and goodwill.34 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2022 SEASIDE SOIRÉE EASY RASPBERRY KEY LIME TARTS Makes: About 60 (We made 30 in mini-phyllo shells.) 1 (8-ounce) carton extra creamy whipped topping, thawed 1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk ½ cup lime juice 1 teaspoon lime zest 30 or more frozen mini-phyllo shells or prepared mini-pastry shells Fresh raspberries for garnish With wire whisk, gently fold together whipped topping, condensed milk and lime juice until creamy. Line frozen shells on a serving platter. Spoon mixture into the frozen phyllo tart shells and sprinkle top lightly with lime zest. return filled tart shells to refrigerator or freezer to chill the tarts at least 2 hours or until filling is firm. (If filled tart shells are coming from the freezer, thaw about 15 minutes.) Just before serving, top each tart with a fresh raspberry. Freeze remaining key lime mix for later use or make more tarts, as needed. PECAN PIE TARTLETS Makes: 20-24 For the dough: 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup butter, softened For the filling: ¾ cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 large egg 1 tablespoon butter, softened Dash of salt 2 ⁄ 3 cup finely chopped pecans, divided Preheat oven to 325 F. With electric mixer, blend flour, cream cheese and butter. roll into 20-24 (1-inch) balls and press into bottom and up the sides of mini ungreased muffin pans. Whisk together brown sugar, vanilla, egg, butter and salt. Sprinkle 1 ⁄ 3 of the pecans among the dough shells. Spoon in the brown sugar mix- ture over the pecans. Sprinkle remaining 1 ⁄ 3 cup chopped pecans on top. bake until crusts are golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Cool slightly and then carefully remove from pan. Can store in air-tight container for a few days or freeze for later use. When ready to serve, arrange in colorful mini holiday cups. 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The surprise would probably be numbed by the sight of eight maids a-milking just to the left of the television, or the confused seven swans looking for a place to go a-swimming. Add to that mayhem the racket of pipers piping, birds singing and drummers drumming and it’s easy to imagine how Christmas magic slips into pure anarchy. Fortunately, “The Twelve Days of Christ- mas” has remained a popular tradition in song rather than reality. What is real is the tradition of gathering with friends and family for merriment and libations. Preparing the home bar also is far easier than transporting fowl, trees, musical equip- ment, busloads of people, a herd of cattle and even golden rings. It’s the 12 ways of Christmas spirits. The starting point is undoubtedly glass- ware. Drinking straight from the bottle is as uncouth as having French hens nesting in the library. While there are near a dozen types of cocktail glasses, the most frequently used is the rock glass, also called the old fash- ioned or lowball. It’s the glass to be used for stronger cocktails or drinks on the rocks and JIGGER SHAKER Basics every home bar should have, minus the booze.Next >