5 appetizer recipes that will make you the hit of the New Year's Eve party

Cooks are often bound by tradition this time of year. For weeks — from Thanksgiving on, really — we make sure everyone's favorite foods are stocked in cupboards, represented on the holiday table and front and center on the cookie plate.

As we move on to New Year's and the party food that typically accompanies those celebrations, it's a chance to bring the adage "out with old, in with new" into the kitchen. Small-plate gatherings are a time to introduce new ingredients, slip vegetables into unlikely places and, most important, have some stress-free fun.

Yes, you will still make sure that the tried-and-trues are there (it's what we do). However, introducing new tastes, textures and recipes will not only end 2022 on a deliciously high note, but the burst of creativity will propel you into the new year, creating culinary momentum for January, when we need it most.

Go ahead, take a spin through all those recipes you've clipped and bookmarked. Or start with these five recipes from recent cookbooks. Just add bubbly and your favorite people, and it will be a party to remember.

Makes about 20 scones.

From "My Art of Entertaining: Recipes and Tips From Miss Maggie's Kitchen," by Héloïse Broin (Flammarion, 2022).

• 5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, divided

• 2 c. all-purpose flour

• 1 scant tbsp. baking powder

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 c. grated aged Cheddar, divided

• 1 small handful baby spinach, chopped

• 1/2 c. plain yogurt

• 1 1/2 tbsp. whole-grain mustard

Directions

Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Dice the remaining butter and work it into the dry ingredients using your fingertips, until the texture is like breadcrumbs. Stir in about 2/3 cup of the grated Cheddar, along with the spinach and caramelized onion.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the dough to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cut into about 20 triangles. Place on the baking sheet, sprinkle on the remaining Cheddar, and season with pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, until the scones are golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4 to 6.

"Although the cheese ball has entered the realm of American kitsch foods, it has an important history as a Prohibition staple," writes André Darlington in "Bar Menu: 100+ Drinking Food Recipes for Cocktail Hours at Home" (Running Press, 2022). "The molded balls covered in nuts were often served in speakeasies and, as such, they are part of the cocktail food canon. Wanting to salvage this historic cocktail pairing from nervous laughter at my parties — while everyone loves a cheese ball, few will admit it — I looked for inspiration in the city of Tabriz in Iran, a former Spice Route stop. There, I found a dish called dooymaj, which includes feta, walnuts, fresh herbs, butter and lavash bread. I spun this into an Americana version of a cheese ball ... and the result is a thing of beauty."

• 8 oz. mascarpone

• 1/4 c. chopped pecans

• 1 tbsp. finely sliced scallion

• 2 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco

• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 c. chopped dried cranberries, divided

• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives

• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill

• Crackers and vegetables, for serving

In a large bowl, combine mascarpone, blue cheese, pecans, scallion, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and 1/8 cup of the cranberries.

Form the mixture into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes. Mix together remaining 1/8 cup of cranberries, basil, chives and dill on a large plate and roll the cheese ball around to cover all sides. Serve with crackers and cut vegetables.

Makes 18 crostini.

From "My Art of Entertaining: Recipes and Tips From Miss Maggie's Kitchen," by Héloïse Broin (Flammarion, 2022).

• 1 3/4 c. red wine

• Peel and juice of 1 clementine, preferably organic

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 3 to 4 star anise pods

• 1/2 c. powdered sugar

• 3 just-ripe, firm pears

• About 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 oz. Roquefort

• Freshly ground pepper

• Honey, optional

Directions

Warm the red wine, orange juice, clementine peel and juice, cinnamon sticks, star anise and sugar together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Just before serving, toast the bread slices and cut each one into 3 pieces. Place a little Roquefort on each piece.

Halve, core, and slice the pears lengthwise. Place 2 to 3 slices on each crostini slice. Season with pepper and, if you wish, drizzle with honey.

Serves 4 to 6.

"Tsukune is a Japanese-style meatball that is typically cooked yakitori style over live coals and accompanied by a rich dipping sauce," writes André Darlington in "Bar Menu: 100+ Drinking Food Recipes for Cocktail Hours at Home" (Running Press, 2022). "They are most often made with ground chicken thighs for rich flavor. However, I have switched to ground turkey; it is both readily available and inexpensive. The recipe finishes the meatballs under the broiler, but they are also marvelous grilled."

For the tsukune:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1 1/2 tbsp. grated onion

• 1 tsp. peeled and finely grated fresh ginger

• 1 tsp. soy sauce

• 2 tsp. mirin

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp. tamari

• 3 tbsp. mirin

• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine tamari, mirin and sugar and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Fill a wide, shallow pan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Form meat mixture into roughly 1 1/2-inch balls and lower into the boiling water. Working in batches if necessary, boil meatballs until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to an oiled wire rack to drain.

Place oven rack in top position and preheat broiler. Thread three meatballs to a skewer and arrange skewers on a baking sheet. Brush meatballs with sauce and broil for 3 minutes. Flip meatballs, basting a second time, and broil until beginning to brown, about an additional 3 minutes. Serve immediately with remaining sauce.

Serves 2 but is easily multiplied.

Chef Andy Murray, brother of actor Bill Murray, weaves family tales through his debut cookbook, "Eat, Drink and Be Murray" (Day Street, 2022). He lives in Florida, where he runs Murray Bros. Caddyshack restaurant. "The first time I had caviar, it was like that scene out of the movie 'Big' with Tom Hanks, where he's at the Christmas party, spitting caviar into his napkin," he writes. "The aha moment wouldn't come for me until way later, and if it hasn't come for you, these fritters might be the game changer." This recipe is based on one Murray helped create at Mortimer's in Manhattan. He substituted salmon roe for the caviar and removed ingredients such as eggs and milk to make the batter lighter. Note: Find salmon roe — trout or any other roe would work, too — at specialty food stores, seafood stores or online. If roe is out of your comfort zone, try topping these delicious fritters with crispy bacon instead.

• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

• Pinch of kosher salt

• 2/3 c. soda water

• 1 c. fresh or canned corn

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh chives

• 3 oz. salmon roe (see Note)

• 2 to 3 tbsp. crème fraîche

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and half of the soda water until smooth. Add the rest of the soda water, stirring, to create a thin batter. Add the corn and 1 teaspoon of the chives to the batter and mix together.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Place a tablespoon of the corn mixture — about the size of a silver dollar pancake — into the pan. You should have 6 fritters. Pan-fry until golden brown and bubbles begin to form, about 4 minutes.