Holiday Cheers!

A Beer and Cheese Party With a Twist

Alexandra Hedin Alexandra Hedin is a lifestyle and entertaining expert in the Pacific Northwest. She shares her love of food, design and good living in every issue of 425 magazine. Online, you can be inspired at www.alexandrahedin.com

Having friends over during the holidays is as traditional as egg nog and sparkling cider. But sometimes it seems so intimidating to plan a big party — especially with work, kids and the thousands of other obligations of daily life. This year, take my advice and keep it super simple with an assortment of beers and my twist on a cheese platter. 

Every year, I spend days decorating the house for Christmas after months of planning and crafting. After all that work, it seems a waste not to have people over to enjoy it. There is no simpler way to entertain than with a cocktail party — that’s until I decided to host a beer and cheese party.  No matter what you do for your holiday gathering don’t forget to have a good time. The most important part of holidays is to enjoy time spent with the ones you love. So plan ahead — prepare ahead — and raise a bottle of beer to the hap-happiest season of all.

Menu
Roasted Nuts
Pesto Gorgonzola Crostini
Cheddar Scones
Assorted Pickled Products
Cookies and Brownies
Assorted Microbrews
Sparkling Pear Cocktail

Quick, Festive Decorations
My party didn’t require a massive amount of decorating to make it festive. Pinecones around the house did the trick and I covered the table with a brown runner, hurricane glasses filled with pinecones and an assortment of candles. The antique sled helped make the arrangement feel fun and seasonal.

Little Details, Big Impact
When the party is so simple, the little details make a big impact. I used white cloth napkins that I bought in bulk and tiny appetizer plates. Real plates and napkins take no extra effort (neither need to be washed by hand) but dress up even the simplest party. 

Cheddar Scones
1⅔ cups flour
⅓ cup finely ground cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarsely ground salt (I use Fleur de sel)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons butter, cold and sliced into tablespoons
1 cup medium cheddar cheese
1 cup buttermilk

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. In a food processor, blend together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper. (If you don’t have finely ground cornmeal, pour the cornmeal into the processor first and pulse until fine, then add the flour, powder and spices.) Add butter and pulse into a sandy texture. Pulse in cheese then add buttermilk and pulse 10 times until mixture just holds together. Do not over mix. 

Turn out onto a lightly-floured cutting board and form into a circle 1½ inches thick. Cut into wedges and bake on prepared baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

Sparkling Pear Cocktail
This amazing cocktail was inspired by Martha Stewart!

2 cups pear nectar
2 cups sparkling cider
2 cups soda water
8 ounces knob creek (1 cup)
1 pear, thinly sliced

Mix all liquid in a pitcher. Keep chilled until serving and don’t add ice or you will water it down.

Pesto Gorgonzola
My mom makes this all the time and it’s one of my favorite indulgences. It’s so simple to make, but tastes so much more complex. Using the best pesto and cheese that you can find is the trick.

1 cup store bought pesto
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola
2 French baguettes, sliced into small rounds

Directions: Preheat oven to broil. With a fork, mix together pesto and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper as desired. Toast baguette rounds in the oven – watch them very carefully as bread burns fast. Flip and toast the reverse side. Top each toasted round with a thin layer of pesto Gorgonzola and return to the oven to broil until heated through. You can tell they are heated when the topping bubbles a bit. 

Something Special
Send your friends home with a little something special (and simple) to help them enjoy their time together with their family. I wrapped up a jar of jam I made earlier in the summer with a container of pancake mix and instructions. Place in a cute box with ribbons that matched the party décor, they are darling sitting at the entryway. Don’t forget a small sign instructing guests to take one — otherwise you may end up with a pile of favors at the end of the night.

Resources
Appetizer plates: Crate and Barrel, crateandbarrel.com
Beer pints: Williams-Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com
Cloth napkins: plumparty.com
Cheese assortment: Whole Foods Market, wholefoodsmarket.com
Jam labels: myownlabels.com,
Favor boxes: Packaging Specialties, pkgspec.com
Fleur de sel: Saltworks, saltworks.us

Timeline Checklist
Six weeks ahead — send out invitations
One week ahead — purchase beer, water, and groceries. Package favors. Set table up and set out platters for food
Up to three days ahead — mix pesto Gorgonzola and roast nuts
One day ahead — make cookies and scones
Morning of party — mix cocktails and refrigerate
Twenty minutes before guests arrive — toast bread and top with pesto gorgonzola, set out cocktails and prepare beer bucket. Set out all food, get dressed and get ready to greet guests!

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