In cookery, canapes are small hot void appetizer served on bread, crackers, or a pastry base so that they can be picked up with the fingers. Unlike hors-doeuvres which are served alone, canapes must have this base.
Canapes must be served crisp and fresh, and they should be prepared just before serving. Canapes may be very simple, consisting of a cracker spread with canape butter and decorated with a little meat, fish, egg, or cheese, or a sprig of parsley or watercress, or a slice of pimiento, pickle, radish, olive, or lemon.
For canapes, use firm-textured bread or bread one day old. If not available, quickly partially freeze bread before cutting. White, rye, whole wheat, and any breads trimmed free of crust are suitable for canapes, provided that bread and filling complement each other. Delicate crab meat, for instance, is best served on white bread, a tangy cheese on dark bread. The breads can be cut into any fancy shapes with cookie cutters, or more simply into rounds, squares, diamonds, or fingers. Toast and plain or fancy crackers also make excellent bases for canapes.
Allow about 4 to 6 canapes for each person.
Cheese Canapes
Blue Cheese Spread - Cream equal parts of blue cheese and sweet butter. Spread on crisp crackers.
Camembert Cheese Spread - Cream equal parts of Camembert and sweet butter. Spread on toast rounds. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Cottage-Cheese Spread - Tap toast rounds with cottage cheese mixed with chopped tongue or ham or crisp bacon. Garnish with slice of stuffed olive.
Simple Cheese Spread - Cream together 1 cup shredded cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, cheese food, etc.), and 1/2 cup butter. Spread on rye or other dark bread and place under broiler until slightly browned. Or serve as is, topped with a radish slice. Makes about 3/4 cup.
Tiny Cheese Sandwiches - Spread crust-trimmed cracked-wheat bread with mayonnaise. Make sandwiches with bread and slices of cheese, sprinkled with pepper. Cut each sandwich into 4 squares. Dip ends of tiny pickled onions in paprika. Fasten onions on sandwiches with toothpicks.