As you’re getting ready to pop the cork on New Year’s Eve, what nibbles should you serve with the Champagne or other sparkling wine?

Here are seven favorite pairings with Champagne.

CAVIAR

You don’t need the deep pockets for sturgeon caviar. Salmon caviar, trout caviar or whitefish caviar are just dandy.

We enjoy serving them in dabs on slices of boiled fingerling potatoes, with a bit of crème fraîche or sour cream between the potato and the caviar. Check out the different types of caviar.
 
CHEESE

Double- and triple-creme cheeses are sumptuous with Champagne. Brie and Camembert are typically* double-crèmes (here’s the difference between Brie and Camembert); triple-crèmes like Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur and St. André are even richer and creamier.

But if you’re not into the creaminess, mild Cheddars and nutty Goudas pair wonderfully with toasty Champagnes and older, nuttier Champagnes. (Note that among sparkling wines, Champagne is unique in its toasty, nutty qualities.)

Serve slices of fresh baguette or specialty crackers with the cheese. Much as we love Triscuits, for example, New Year’s Eve merits something more glamorous.

Brillat-Savarin cheese with Champagne. Photo courtesy Whole Foods Market.

Pâte or mousse† de foie gras, made from duck or goose liver, is a classic pairing with Champagne. But chicken mousse pâte is less expensive and equally delicious. You can make it or buy it.

We actually prefer mousse to pâte with Champagne because it’s so soft and spreadable. The velvety smooth texture is luxurious against the gentle bubbles. Serve it with toast points or baguette slices.

Some of the classic items of the classic plat de fruits de mer—clams, mussels, oysters and shrimp—are delicious with Champagne. You can serve oysters or shrimp only, or a seafood assortment.

Seafood tends to be pricey; an alternative is to make a crab or shrimp dip or spread.

 
SMOKED SALMON

Smoked salmon is another time-honored marriage with Champagne. Serve it any way you like: canapés, spread (check out these smoked salmon rillettes), even Philadelphia rolls, sushi-style with cream cheese.

 
STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Champagne can have mushroomy flavors, especially as it ages Stuffed mushrooms go nicely—even if the flavor is citrussy or toasty instead of mushroomy.

For something a bit different, consider a platter of sushi—nigiri and/or cut rolls. Like the raw bar, raw fish with rice is delicious with Champagne.

For color and flavor, you need only tuna and salmon; but you can get as elaborate as you like.

What’s your favorite appetizer to serve with Champagne? Let us know!

 
*Some Bries and Camemberts are triple-crèmes.

Pâte is more solid than mousse. Here is Emeril Lagasse’s recipe. For a mousse, the liver is whipped with butter and cream and is soft and spreadable. Here’s a recipe from Alton Brown.

Here’s a fun way to welcome the New Year. These Rainbow Shots were the winner of this year’s DeKuyper Bartender Challenge.

The winning recipe was submitted by mixologist Carolyn Connelly of Noblesville, Indiana.

Carolyn took inspiration from the Pousse-Café (pronounced POOSE-caff-fay), an after-dinner drink composed of several layers of different colored liqueurs that sit on top of each other in a clear glass. The name means “pushes coffee,” or coffee chaser, in French. The term first appeared in 1880. (If you’d rather make a Pousse-Café, here’s a video showing how.)

Because different liqueurs (and other liquids) have different densities, they can be made to sit atop each other in discrete layers, when poured in order of the densest to lightest. The result is a fun drink that delights the eye, rather than a strategic layering of flavors.

But instead of layering the different liquids in a single drinking glass, Carolyn made the drink in a mixing glass and then poured the different colors out layer by layer (almost like a magic show). The densities of the liquids allow the different colors to pour out one at a time. Try it!
 
 
RECIPE: DeKUYPER RAINBOW SHOTS

Ingredients Per Set Of Shots

These separate shots were made in one mixing glass. The colors form separate layers. Photo courtesy DeKuyper.

1. POUR the grenadine syrup into a mixing glass over ice.

2. ADD additional ice and layer in the orange juice by pouring it gently over a bar spoon into the mixing glass.

3. LAYER in the vodka and add more ice.

4. TOP with Blue Curaçao and pour into six shot glasses arranged in a single row.

DeKuyper is the top-selling line of domestic cordials, with nearly 60 mixable and versatile flavors of cordials, liqueurs, crèmes, brandies, and schnapps.

Some DeKuyper flavors have inspired the creation of what are now famous cocktails. For example, in the mid-1980s DeKuyper Peachtree Schnapps inspired the creation of the Fuzzy Navel. In the mid-1990s, DeKuyper Pucker Sour Apple Schnapps inspired the creation of the Appletini.

DeKuyper was founded in Holland in 1695 by Johannes DeKuyper & Son. Today the company is a subsidiary of Beam Suntory Inc.

For recipes and more information on the DeKuyper Cordials and Liqueurs, visit DeKuyperUSA.com.

 
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CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Here’s a Trois Crèmes Cake that uses crème fraîche three different ways for a much more sophisticated effect: a crème fraîche cake with hazelnut and crème fraîche filling, drizzled with salted vanilla crème fraîche caramel. The three different uses of creme fraiche make it very elegant.

The recipe and photo are via Vermont Creamery, courtesy of Paul Lowe Einlyng, a native of Oslo, Norway, whose online magazine and blog will make you want to make everything. Paul now lives in New York City, where he working as a stylist, editor, publisher, magazine developer and blogger.

RECIPE: TROIS CRÈMES CAKE

Ingredients For The Cake

Make your last cake of the year this beauty. Photo courtesy Sweet Paul | Vermont Creamery.

Ingredients For The Caramel

 
Ingredients For The Crème Fraîche Filling

 
 
*If you can’t find Vermont Creamery Madagascar Vanilla Crème Fraîche, add a half teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to regular crème fraîche. It won’t be as wonderful, but it works.

1. MAKE the caramel. Pour the sugar into a dry saucepan and melt it over medium-low heat. it will first begin to get clumpy and then after a few minutes it will melt completely. Once the sugar is completely melted, carefully…

2. ADD the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Be careful as the sugar will boil up as you add the butter. Stir to combine the butter completely into the sugar. Finally, drop the crème fraîche into the caramel a spoonful at a time while you stir it. It will boil up and sputter yet again. Mix until fully incorporated. Stir the mixture for about 1–2 minutes more until it reaches your desired consistency. Be careful if you are tasting your caramel because it’s super-hot! Remove from heat and allow to cool. You can store it for up to 1 week in a sealed container in the fridge. If so, you may want to microwave it slightly before serving or using it as a topping.

3. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.

4. CREAM the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light fluffy. Add in the crème fraîche and mix until fully incorporated. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until fully incorporated. Add in the vanilla or maple syrup and chopped hazelnuts and mix until incorporated. Add in the dry flour mixture slowly and mix until all is incorporated.

5. POUR the batter into a 9-inch round pan and bake for 45–60 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick starting at 35 minutes. The toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. When the cake is completely cool, slice it in half to create two equal layers of cake.

6. PREPARE the crème fraîche filling by simply mixing the crème fraîche with the powdered sugar.

7. PLACE the bottom layer on the cake plate and spread 2/3 of the crème fraîche mixture on the bottom layer. Drizzle a bit of the caramel on top of the filling and place the top layer on top. Spread the rest of the crème fraîche on top of the cake. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and drizzle the caramel all over the top of the cake.

8. SERVE immediately and store any leftover cake in the fridge, as the crème fraîche needs to be kept chilled.
 
WHAT IS CRÈME FRAÎCHE

Crème fraîche (pronounced crem fresh, French for “fresh cream”) is a thickened cream—not as thick as sour cream, more of the consistency of yogurt, which is an appropriate analogy because it is slightly soured with bacterial culture. Originally from Normandy, the dairy heartland of France, today it is used throughout Continental and American cuisines.

Sour cream, which is more accessible and less expensive, can be substituted in most recipes; but crème fraîche has advantages: It can be whipped, and it will not curdle when cooked over high heat. In addition, it is usually a bit lighter in body than commercial sour creams, more subtly sour, and overall more elegant.

Crème fraîche is made by inoculating unpasteurized heavy cream with Lactobacillus cultures, letting the bacteria grow until the cream is both soured and thick and then pasteurizing it to stop the process. Thus, authentic crème fraîche cannot be made at home because generally, only pasteurized cream is available to consumers. To add Lactobacillus to pasteurized cream will cause it to spoil instead of sour.

Crème fraîche is the ideal addition to sauces and soups because it can be boiled without curdling. Our favorite use is as a topping and garnish. Just a dab helps balance flavors and makes anything more delicious. Here’s more about crème fraîche plus a recipe to make your own.
  

The shredded meat—originally pork belly or pork shoulder—is mixed with enough of the fat to form a paste or pâté in French, which refers to any cooked ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. The paste was placed in a crock.

The word first appears in writing in 1845. It derives from the Old French rille, meaning a slice of pork (rille dates all the way back to 1480).

Rillettes are typically served at room temperature with bread or toast points—and wine, of course. Long before the current, trendy bacon jam, there were rillettes.

Over time, the technique was applied to other meat and poultry: chicken, duck, game birds, fish (anchovies, salmon, tuna), goose and rabbit. Fish is not actually cooked in the fat, but it is blended with fat to create the paste.

In this recipe from Chef Aida Mollenkamp, was developed for Moët & Chandon to serve with Champagne. You can serve it with any sparkling wine.

Smoked salmon rillettes. Photo courtesy Chef Aida Mollenkamp.

The recipe—Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, and Fennel Rillettes—requires just 15 minutes or prep time, plus 2 hours of chilling time.

Chef Mollenkamp gave the classic recipe a modern, quicker, and slightly healthier twist, including a double dose of anise flavor from the fennel and the tarragon. The spread has a smoky, sweet anise flavor and is as delicious on a cracker as it on toast for a luxurious sandwich.

Let your imagination wander: We’ve enjoyed the leftovers on toast with scrambled or poached eggs!

Ingredients For 2 Cups (15 to 20 Hors d’Oeuvre Servings)

1. MELT the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, add the shallots and season with a pinch of salt and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the shallots are translucent and soft. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. COMBINE the shallots with the fennel, lemon juice, herbs, Pernod, lemon zest and crème fraîche. Season with a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

3. BREAK the salmon into bite-sized pieces and fold into the mixture until just combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Transfer the rillettes to an airtight container, cover and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours.

4. LET the rillettes sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so they’re spreadable. Sprinkle with herbs and serve with crackers or toast, along with the cornichons and/or pickled onions. For the best flavor, consume the rillettes within four days of preparation.
 
SUBSTITUTES FOR PERNOD

If you don’t have Pernod, you don’t need to spring for a bottle for the tablespoon required here. Instead, you can substitute absinthe, aguardiente, arak (a Middle Eastern liquor like ouzo), ouzo, pastis, raki (a Turkish liquor like ouzo) or Ricard.

Sambucca, which is anise-flavored, is typically sweetened and thus not right for this recipe.
  

The recipe is from Annie’s Eats for Go Bold With Butter. Check out both websites for more delicious recipes.

Prep time: is 15 minutes, cook time is 35 minutes. While the bars are baking, check out the history of eggnog.

“Grate whole nutmeg for these rather than using the pre-grated stuff,” Annie advises. “It definitely enhances the flavor.”

RECIPE: EGGNOG CRUMBLE BARS

Ingredients For 16 Bars
 
For The Dough

For The Filling

For breakfast, make Eggnog French Toast. Substitute eggnog for the milk, but do add the egg! Photo courtesy Organic Valley.

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Line 8 x 8-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

2. MAKE the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in medium bowl; stir to blend. Add the butter, cutting it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or two knives, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the eggnog and stir with a fork or knead very briefly, just until crumbly dough comes together.

3. TRANSFER two-thirds of the dough mixture to the prepared baking pan and press down into the bottom of the pan to form an even layer.

4. MAKE the filling: Combine the cream cheese and sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, light and fluffy. Blend in the egg, then the eggnog and vanilla, until smooth. Pour the mixture over the layer of dough in the baking pan. Crumble the reserved dough over top of eggnog mixture.

5. BAKE—rotating the pan halfway through baking—until just set, about 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on wire rack. Chill well before slicing and serving.