Fig Appetizer with Manchego and Prosciutto

This Fig Appetizer with Manchego and Prosciutto is glazed with port wine and packed with rich and delicious flavors. Ideal for a cocktail party, the presentation is pretty and it's always a hit.

What's better than a cute, tasty and easy-to-eat hors d'oeuvre at a holiday party?

After all, you can mingle, eat, and have a cocktail all at once. There's no better way to socialize, if you ask me.

Ideally at a party, an hors d'oeuvre should be one, maybe two bites.

And they should not be messy!  No forks.  No knives. No fumbling around. Really, you should only need cocktail napkins and toothpicks.

Cocktail parties are so much fun to prepare for, and you can't go wrong with this flavor-packed fig appetizer.

Oh, and it's made with dried figs, so you can make them year-round.

How to Make This Port Glazed Fig Appetizer

- Use a paring knife to cut off any bits of stem that may remain on the dried figs. Then make a slit with the knife in each fig -- the slits should be made lengthwise, and when you slice, be sure your knife only goes about halfway through the fruit.

- Pour the port into a small saucepan and add the figs. Gently stir to be sure they're well coated, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off, cover, and let the figs hydrate for about 30 minutes.

Recipe Tip: Dried figs are typically much smaller than fresh figs. Sizes might vary though, so if the 1 cup of port doesn't cover them, add just enough so that they're covered.

- While the figs are hydrating, cut the Manchego into 2 dozen tiny chunks that will fit snugly into the slits in the figs.

- Preheat the broiler and line a sheet pan with parchment.

- Use a slotted spoon to remove the figs from the port (save what's in the saucepan!), placing them directly on the parchment-lined sheet pan as you go.

- Gently squeeze a chunk of Manchego into each slit in the figs. Then, use your hands to tear thin strips from the prosciutto -- they should be about 2 x ½-inch strips. They might not stay intact, and that's okay. Wrap a strip around each fig. It should wrap around the fig at least once, and twice is also okay. Be sure the "seam" is on the bottom.

- To make the glaze, bring the port remaining in the saucepan to a strong simmer. Do not cover, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes or so, just until it's a nice, thick consistency. Set aside.

- Place the sheet pan under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto begins to sizzle or brown.

- Carefully put them on a platter and stick a small toothpick through each prosciutto-wrapped fig. Drizzle generously with the port glaze and serve.

Recipe Tip: By the time you're ready to serve, if the glaze has become too thick to drizzle, turn the heat back on to low until it's pourable.

Variations

• Try other cheeses. You can use gruyère cheese for a similar vibe, and to really change things up, you can use goat cheese, blue cheese, Gorgonzola or Roquefort.
• You can use bacon instead of prosciutto. Use about half a strip per fig, and instead of the broiler, they should go in a 375℉ oven until the bacon is cooked.
• You can use balsamic vinegar if you prefer it to port. Do not use it to hydrate the dried figs, though. You can make a balsamic glaze by reducing it in a saucepan, the same way you would the port, and use water to hydrate the figs.
• Vegetarian version. Instead of the prosciutto, you can sprinkle finely chopped pistachios, pecans, or walnuts on top of each fig. Do this after they're removed from the oven.
• Simplified version. Hydrate the dried figs in water, and substitute the port glaze with honey.

Making it Ahead

This is an hors d'oeuvre that should be served warm. It can be assembled as early as the morning of your cocktail or dinner party. When you're ready, just heat them on the sheet pan, and stick toothpicks in the figs right after they come out of the oven.

More delicious bite-sized hors d'oeuvres:

• Mini Potatoes with Cranberries
• Potato Pickled Tomato Bites
• Citrus Caprese Kebabs
• Cucumber Dill Canapés

This fig appetizer is seriously a mouthful of sheer and utter deliciousness, and I hope you love it.

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