This Christmas why not make your canapés the talking point of your party.  And let’s face it, there’s no party like a Rocket party! Sibling duo Michael and Caroline Symonds founded their luxe London events company in 2000. Focusing on food stalls, imaginative canapé trays and dishes that taste every bit as spectacular as they look. They’ve shared the top trends this season so we can create a little bit of magic at home…

AMBER hues

This season embrace amber hues in all their glory. Think walnuts, pinecones, and star anise, highlighted with golds and forest greens. Pine branches or a scattering of needles are a lovely way to bring a touch of festivity to your celebrations.

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CARIBBEAN spice

Your Christmas party will be filled with warmth when handing around the flavours of the Caribbean. Rocket’s favourite sunshine-inspired canapés are best served with a fruity rum cocktail for maximum impact.

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OYSTERLESS oysters

There is something inherently luxurious and wow-factor about oysters, but they are an acquired taste. Keep even the vegans and vegetarians involved by serving salty, sharp alternatives – pickled vegetables, seaweed – in ceramic oyster shell-shaped dishes.

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SWEET, SMALL and sumptuous

Your savoury canapés have been devoured, Champagne has been sipped, and now you fancy something sweet. Cake can be messy; Eton mess popular but requires bowls; and towards the end of a party, chocolate puddings are just too heavy. Which is why dessert canapés work so well. See our recipe for Clementine & Bay Tarts. (See below)

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WASTE-LESS canapés

Sustainability doesn’t fall off the agenda in December, so be clever and prepare “top to toe” wherever possible. Don’t overlook so-called ugly vegetables. They are full of flavour and work perfectly for canapés.

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Clementine & Bay Canapé Tarts

Makes 20 – Ingredients:

15g sugar
1 pack (approx. 270g) filo pastry
100g butter
3 dried bay leaves
200g caster sugar
125g whole milk
30g egg yolk
15g sugar
5g plain flour
1 orange, zested
150g double cream • 1 sheet gelatine

To garnish

Clementine segments, gold leaf, candied orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Brush a sheet of filo pastry with melted butter, place another sheet of pastry on top, repeating until you have three layers.
3. Using a ring cutter, cut discs of the filo pastry, and push the discs of pastry into a tart case.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
5. Blend bay leaves and caster sugar in a food processor. Once the tart cases come out of the oven, toss them in the bay sugar.
6. Place milk in a pan with the orange zest and bring to a boil. Whisk together the egg yolk, sugar and flour. Mix this with the milk, and return to the pan to cook, continuously whisking until thickened.
7. Remove from the heat, pass through a sieve and add the gelatine.
8. Once the pastry cream is cool, return it to a bowl and whisk until it is smooth. Semi whip the double cream and fold this into the mixture.
9. Fill the tart cases with the pastry cream filling, and then garnish with the clementine segments, candied orange, and some gold leaf.
10. If you want to make your own candied orange, zest an orange into fine strips. Bring to boil in cold water, and repeat with fresh water three times. Drain, then make a syrup with equal parts water to sugar. Simmer with the cooked orange at a low temperature for about 30 minutes.

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