Triple Stuffed Mushroom Canapés

Sometimes I wish I lived in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of the year; I have never had a white Christmas, never worn a daggy Christmas themed jumper while sipping on egg nog... Um, I think I might have been watching too many Christmas movies.

Time to focus on reality. What is my reality at this time of the year in Australia?

My reality is that it’s summer and I have just over a week of work left until Christmas! It's warm and the sky is blue (mostly), and it's time for swimming and daylight savings. 

There are also mozzies (mosquitoes) and cricket blaring on the T.V. (summer has its down side). But it’s also a time to catch up with friends and family and go to Christmas parties! It's the time to have a cold beer or glass of bubbles in one hand and a tasty bite in the other.

Did you know that mushrooms are not just an Autumn thing? You can totally get into mushrooms at Christmas too.

And did you also know that if you pop off the stumps on Swiss browns or button mushrooms that you get this tasty little cup to stuff with flavour?

I'm sure you know this, of course you know this! Let's be a little bit different with canapés this year.

The most important question that's raised is: How much stuff can a mushroom stuff, if a blogger can stuff mushrooms? 

I managed three layers. Three layers that on their own are great, but when their powers combine with the power of mushrooms you get one tasty morsel that explodes in your mouth in one bite.

First, you have some jammy caramelised onion and dried cranberries - the sweetness loves the earthiness of the mushrooms. Then comes a layer of tangy goats cheese laced with orange zest and thyme which rounds out the festive flavours. 

Stamp these little bombs in some crushed pistachios and you have not only a festive and attractive looking canapé, you also have some crunch in there to offset the softness of the other layers. 

Unlike our brown little stumpy friends that you and your friends are sure to devour, don't be in the dark about what to bring to your Christmas party this year. Serve them on some pretty, mismatched spoons, put a cold drink in your hand and one of these in the other and get mingling.

The development of the below recipe and the creation of this post was sponsored by The Australian Mushroom Growers Association as part of their Summer of Mushrooms campaign. Head on over to My Mushrooms to check out what other Aussie bloggers are cooking up with mushies this summer.

Triple Stuffed Mushroom Canapés
Makes 8 Canapés
8 small Swiss Brown mushrooms
damp cloth, stumps removed
½ log goats cheese at room temperature
4 sprigs thyme, leaves separated from stems.
Zest from 1 orange
1 red onion, halved then sliced finely into half moons
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for brushing
⅓ cup pistachios, crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Clean the mushrooms by gently wiping them over with a damp cloth. Snap off the stumps and discard.
3. In a small bowl, mix the thyme leaves and orange zest into the goats cheese. Set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a low to medium heat.
5. Add the onion and a little salt and cook slowly stirring for around 15 minutes or until the onions have softened and started to caramelise.
6. Add the cranberries and continue to stir for a further 15 minutes.
7. Season to taste.
8. Remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel until cooled.
9. In a food processor or a mortar and pestle, grind the pistachios until you have pieces the size you see in the picture above.
10. Take a mushroom and brush it with a little olive oil. 
11. Add approximately ½ a teaspoon of onion to the mushroom and press down with a spoon.
12. Spread a little of the goats cheese on top of the mushrooms and press down gently with a spoon.
13. Press the filled mushroom into the nuts so that the goats cheese is not visible.
14. Repeat with all mushrooms
15. Place mushrooms on the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
16. Cool slightly on a rack (the filling will be very hot) before serving on spoons or napkins.