Fancy is fine, but nothing fussy.
That’s my feeling about most food, but party food in particular. When company is coming there simply isn’t time or energy to pamper your food and negotiate with finicky ingredients that must be treated just so.
That’s the difference between being a host and being a caterer.
Typically, I’m happy to let my guests graze on rustic starters, such as a block of quality Parmesan cheese accompanied by balsamic vinegar and wheat crackers, a chunk of feta drizzled with honey, or a bowl of hummus and fresh flatbread.
But as I recently prepared for a party for 30, I found myself facing an intellectual incongruity. Generally, the more people I entertain, the more rustic (which generally means easy) my menu becomes.
This time I found myself wanting something with a bit more pizazz. But for 30 people?
Inspiration hit while reading a magazine, which included a beautiful appetizer of baby shrimp sauteed with finely diced vegetables served in tiny edible cups made from won ton wrappers that had been baked in mini-muffin tins.
It seemed like a great idea, and a completely impractical one. Who wants to take the time to dice half a dozen different vegetables and saute them with baby shrimp? And then there’s still the question of how to keep them at the temperature for serving.
The won ton cups idea, however, was a keeper. It was just a matter of what to put in them.
For me, the winning filling was a sour cream and cream cheese blend. I liked the idea of a creamy filling, partly for its texture contrast to the crunchy won ton, but also for the ease of assembly: The mixture could be piped into the shells from a plastic bag.
For flavor I started with fresh chives, a natural for sour cream. These added attractive green specks as well as a mellow onion flavor. Then I added hot pepper sauce, another nice contrast to the cool creams.
Though the cream cheese and sour cream mixture could be combined by hand, I tossed my batch in a standing mixer and used the whisk attachment to beat it until light and fluffy. Then I transferred it to a sealing plastic bag, ready for piping.
Baking the won tons was easy. I used the smaller of two varieties available at my grocer. I spritzed the muffin tins with olive oil, then molded a won ton into each cup and gave another sprit of oil. There was some overlap on the edges, but that’s fine.
Because I don’t have 100 mini-muffin tins (my target number to allow each guest three), I baked the won tons in batches, which worked well since they crisp up quickly. And, as with the cheese filling, I did this step the night before.
The trick to preparing the won tons ahead of time (but no more than 24 hours) is to let them cool completely, then gently place them in sealed plastic bags. Do not refrigerate, as this will make them soft.
But a cup of cheese isn’t quite enough. For color and flavor, I placed a thin strip of roasted red pepper across the base of each cup so that it came up the side. The cheese was piped over part of the pepper.
For a final flourish – and bit of flavor – I set a single caper and thin slice of scallion atop each mound of cheese, a bright green contrast to the red pepper and white cheese.
The result was a delicious and appealing appetizer. And the best part? Thirty minutes before the party, I was able to assemble about 100 of the cups in about 10 minutes. With everything prepped ahead, it really was that easy.
If you bake the won tons just before preparing, be sure to let them cool completely before piping in the cheese.
Won ton cups with whipped cheese and roasted pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
36small won ton wrappers (roughly 2 inches square)
1cup cream cheese (set at room temperature for about 10 minutes)
1/2cup sour cream
1tablespoon finely minced fresh chives
1/2teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or more according to taste)
Pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2roasted red peppers, jarred, packed in vinegar
36capers, drained
1scallion, sliced into thin rounds
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly spray mini-muffin tins with olive oil. Press one won ton wrapper into each muffin cup. Spray again with olive oil, being sure to lightly mist the edges of each won ton. Bake until edges just begin to lightly brown, about 4 minutes.
Gently remove the won tons from the muffin tin. They should be quite firm and will not lose their shape. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes. Repeat in batches as necessary until all won tons are baked and cooled.
While the won tons bake, whisk together (preferably with an electric mixer) the cream cheese, sour cream, chives, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Mixture should be light and fluffy.
Spoon the mixture into a medium plastic bag. Try to get as much of the cheese as possible into one corner of the bag. Press out any air and zip closed. Set aside.
Slice the red pepper into 36 thin strips about 1 to 2 inches long.
Arrange the won ton cups on a single surface. Set a strip of red pepper into each cup, arranging it so one end comes up the side of the cup and dangles over a bit.
Use scissors to cut a 1/4-inch triangle from the corner of the plastic bag of cheese. Hold the bag with two hands and apply slow, even pressure. The cheese should come out in a thick, smooth stream.
Pipe about 1/2 tablespoon of cheese into each cup.
Top each cup with one caper and several slices of scallion. Won ton cups can be refrigerated, uncovered, for up to 30 minutes before serving.
Makes 36 won ton cups, enough for 12 people.
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