Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés

Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapes

 (Uncommon Flavors of Europe provided this delicious Speck Alto Adige for this recipe. Opinions are my own!)

Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés

Even with the holidays behind us, there are still many reasons to celebrate. Birthdays, engagements, new jobs, and new homes are perfectly fine excuses to enjoy some wonderful party food– like these Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés.

Whether you’re hosting a big celebration with friends and family or having a low-key night in with a special someone, these pretty little appetizers will satisfy and delight.

Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés – How to Love Cooking

What is a canapé?

A canapé (CAN-uh-pay) is really just a fancy French word for a bite sized starter. Typically, canapés are small slices of bread or pastry with a savory, or in our case, sweet and savory topping. They look beautiful on platters set out for a party. Plus, they can be as simple or as complex in flavor as you like.

In my journey to become a better cook, I’ve learned a ton. Not only have I taught myself new recipes and methods, but I’ve also discovered how to build flavors and incorporate different textures into my dishes. Similar to photography, I find that flavors work best when there is lots of contrast.

So if I have a rich and buttery flavor, I like to include something bright and acidic to balance everything out. If I have something creamy and smooth, I love paring it with a crispy, crunchy component. It’s all about contrast-to-compliment, and it’s all about surprise.

Speck Alto Adige

This week, it is my pleasure to have the opportunity to showcase a delicious ingredient for all of you.

Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés – How to Love Cooking

Speck Alto Adige is a delicious, smoked cured ham that comes from the Alto Adige region of Italy. This region of Italy was part of Austria until about 1920, hence the German name. Authentic Speck Alto Adige comes from this region and has a PGI certification stamp indicated on the label.

What is a PGI certification?

The PGI certification of Speck Alto Adige means “Protected Geographical Indication” and ensures that you are buying an authentic product made in its area of origin under strict guidelines. Feel free to read more about it on their website.

While many domestic brands call their product “speck,” only Speck Alto Adige with a PGI certification is the authentic product from Italy produced in the authentic way.

Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés – How to Love Cooking

So what does Speck Alto Adige taste like?

Think of bacon or prosciutto with, like, ten times more flavor. Not only is Speck Alto Adige smoked, but prior to the curing process, the pork legs are rubbed with a mixture of flavorful herbs and spices. This gives the final product a uniquely deep and interesting flavor.

So how do you use it?

Speck Alto Adige can be used just like bacon or prosciutto. You can cube it or cut into strips and add it to pasta, top your pizza or flatbread with it, or slice it super thin to enjoy on a charcuterie board. Whichever way you enjoy it, you’ll be amazed with the savory, smoky flavor it adds to your dish.

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Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés – How to Love Cooking

How to Make Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés:

The canapés themselves are a cinch to make with hardly any cooking involved! You just need some refrigerated pie crust, orange marmalade, gorgonzola (or blue cheese) crumbles, dried thyme, and a few thin slices of Speck Alto Adige.

To make the little buttery crackers, I simply rolled out the pie crust and cut out 36 circles using my smallest, scalloped cookie cutter. (A simple round cutter is just perfect, too. I just liked how pretty they looked with the scalloped edge.)

I brushed the crackers with olive oil and sprinkled them with a little bit of salt and pepper. Then, I baked them on a lined baking sheet for about 5-6 minutes until they became golden around the edges and crispy.

After the crackers had cooled slightly, I topped them with a tiny dollop of orange marmalade, a sprinkle of crumbled gorgonzola, and a piece of delicious, smoky Speck Alto Adige. When they had all been assembled on the board to serve, I gave them a final sprinkle of ground thyme (fresh would work great, too).

That’s it!

Need more sweet and savory appetizers? Try these Honey Goat Cheese Toasts with Blackberries and Mint or these Sweet Pepper Toasts with Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese

Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés – How to Love Cooking

Canapés for a Party

The blending of the different flavors and textures give these little bites so much life! The smokey, salty Speck Alto Adige pairs perfectly with the sweet, bright marmalade while the creamy cheese compliments the buttery, crunchy pie crust cracker. It’s a flavor combination made in heaven!

Imagine how beautiful these would be at a holiday party or any other special occasion! Plus, it’s always fun to introduce guests to a delicious, new, authentic ingredient from Italy that I have no doubt they will love.

I hope you give Speck Alto Adige a try – especially on these pretty little canapés!

Thank you again to Uncommon Flavors of Europe for the opportunity to try this delicious Speck Alto Adige. #backedbybrandbacker

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Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés

Whether you’re hosting a big celebration with friends and family or having a low-key night in with a special someone, these beautiful Speck Alto Adige and Orange Canapés will satisfy and delight.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Appetizers, Canapes, Pie Crust Crackers, Speck Alto Adige

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 18 (2 per person)

Author Cathy

Ingredients

• 1 Refrigerated Prepared Pie Crust Dough
• 1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Ground Pepper
• 2-3 TBS Orange Marmalade
• 2 TBS Gorgonzola Crumbles
• 4-5 Very Thin Slices of Speck Alto Adige PGI (Torn or cut into small pieces)
• ½ tsp Dried Thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 Degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with foil, parchment, or a silicone mat.
2. Unroll the refrigerated pie dough onto a cutting board. (If it cracks, just push it back together with your hands, no biggie.) Using a small 1 ½ inch cookie cutter, cut out as many crackers as possible. I rolled out the excess dough so that I was able to cut out a total of 36 crackers.

3. Place the crackers onto the baking sheet, and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle the crackers with a little bit of salt and pepper, and bake for 5-6 minutes. Check the crackers after 5 minutes because they can burn quickly. Look for golden edges and a crisp, dry top.

4. Allow the crackers to cool, and place them on a serving plate. Top each cracker with a small dollop of orange marmalade, a few crumbles of gorgonzola, and a small piece of Speck Alto Adige. Then, sprinkle the canapés with the dried thyme, and serve.

5. Enjoy and have a Happy New Year!