One of the things I like about participating in a cooking group like Cook the Book Fridays is that some decisions are made for me. I enjoy meal planning, but sometimes it’s nice to have a few less choices to make. For example, I know what Christmas dessert will be this year (you’ll have to wait until after Christmas to find out what it is!).
This past weekend we celebrated my daughter’s birthday (15!), and all of the appetizers were chosen for me. Last week, the group made Comté and Ham Wafers from My Paris Kitchen, and this week’s Everyday Dorie recipe was Roasted Squash Hummus. I rounded out the appetizer selection with gougères I had stored in the freezer.
Comté and Ham Wafers
Comté and Ham Wafers were easy to throw together. It took more time to prep the ingredients than it did to mix them together. These savory cookies are chock full of cheese, chives, and crumbled ham chips (made by baking prosciutto until crisp). I made the dough a day ahead, then sliced and baked them the morning of the party. I put one log of dough in the freezer, which I will probably pull out for Christmas.
These were a hit! I mean, how can you go wrong with a cheesy, hammy cracker?
Roasted Squash Hummus
Roasted Squash Hummus is not your typical hummus. The chickpeas are replaced with roasted squash (I used acorn) and flavored with the usual tahini, plus the unusual pomegranate molasses and za’atar. The hummus is served atop a bed of Greek yogurt and topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
This was a fun one to serve, because it is both visually appealing and intriguingly different. I enjoyed hearing everyone speculate about the ingredients, and they were all surprised about the roasted squash. It was also delicious!
I highly recommend Roasted Squash Hummus next time you are looking for a light(er) and different dip. It is delicious with crudites as well as pita chips.
Here is a bonus behind-the-scenes photo that my husband took:
Have a great weekend!
From Scratch 
nice spread for a celebration! and i like that photo of you taking photos– haha!
Lovely spread of appetizers! Glad to see that you’ve enjoyed the hummus!
Everything looks so good. The platter with the hummus and veggies is so appetizing.
I hope your girl had the best time on her birthday. I want to make now those ham and cheese crackers!
A beautiful spread!
Here’s wishing your DD a belated 15th BDay!!
I love that last picture, of the chef! Wow, you did great, three recipes between two great books.
I liked, and enjoyed this hummus!
Happy *
I’m so glad you all enjoyed both recipes!! And a happy birthday to your daughter! 15!! We loved the wafers but were not fans of the hummus.
Happy 15th birthday to your daughter! You are the only person I’ve come across, so far, who liked the hummus! Both look delicious!
Happy birthday to your daughter. I remember 15 being kind of a big deal year with my girls!
I really need to make the wafers, as they sound delicious & I enjoyed the behind the scenes shot 🙂
What a perfect spread! (And thanks for the reminder about gougeres in the freezer. I forgot I have a bag stashed.) I adored the wafers. I remembered that was in the freezer and already consumed log #2. The hummus was not popular at my house, though I brought some to a potluck and they did like it.
Happy birthday to your daughter!!!