The savory candles are quick to prepare, a vegetarian and delicious appetizer to impress your guests or family. Grandma Benedetta loves to always prepare different appetizers for the Christmas holidays and along with traditional ones, this year she prepared this original cold appetizer for us.
SEASONALITY – perfect appetizer for Christmas or New Year’s Eve.
Vegan or Vegetarian Appetizers
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Contemporary
- Seasonality: New Year's Eve, Christmas
- Energy 82.23 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 5.40 (g) of which sugars 1.22 (g)
- Proteins 3.26 (g)
- Fat 5.40 (g) of which saturated 2.60 (g)of which unsaturated 2.27 (g)
- Fibers 0.54 (g)
- Sodium 283.80 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 29 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Savory Candles
- 6 bread crostini (oven toasted)
- 1 tbsp oz olives (taggiasca)
- 1 tbsp oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil (or tomato paste or a slice of salami)
- 3 oz oz cheese (firm, like Caciotta Fontal, Montasio – for vegans, use plant-based cheese)
- 6 pickled onions
WHAT TO SPREAD ON THE CROSTINI?
Any type of pesto or:
🍀 VEGAN alternatives
– caramelized onion
– tomato paste
– slice of pear or apple
– cheese marmalade
– mushroom pâté
🍀 VEGETARIAN alternatives
– small omelette
– honey and walnuts
🍀 OMNIVORE alternatives
– slice of salami
– smoked salmon
– cold cuts (bresaola, cured ham or speck)
Tools
- Chopper
- Cutting Board
- Toothpicks
Savory Candles
Chop the olives (or sun-dried tomatoes) in the chopper.
Cut the cheese into a rectangular cuboid at a height of about 2 inches.
Cut the toothpicks in half.
Spread the sauce on the crostino and insert half a toothpick in the center, pointing upwards.
Place the cheese on top of the toothpick point, then insert the remaining half toothpick into the cheese, again with the point upwards.
Skewer the pickled onion on the part of the toothpick sticking out of the cheese.
🍀 Place the candle crostini on a tray and decorate with pieces of green lettuce or red radicchio leaves.
🍀 Add some savory candles among the traditional appetizers.
🍀 Use the edible candle as a placeholder.
STORING the savory candles
The savory candles should be eaten shortly after preparation or consumed within 2-3 days. Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container to prevent humidity that could alter the texture of the ingredients.
