"Between Seasons" Happy Hour... Tempted by Fall Flavors

It's tough to think much about fall when it's 80+ degrees outside and we're still spending weekends at the beach. The only thing that really denotes *fall* here in Southern California is that school has begun. Luckily, fall foods begin surfacing in our markets, helping to remind us that there is indeed a change of seasons soon at hand. Fall is the season in which I most enjoy cooking and baking. The flavors of maple, pecans, apples, pears, pumpkin and cranberry will be most abundant in my seasonal recipe choices.

I was faced with hosting 38 neighbors in our home last weekend for an adult happy hour. Fortunately, everyone was instructed to contribute to the appetizers, so I wasn't saddled with preparing all of the food. It was, however, a great opportunity to try out some new recipes. With the Fall Season looming ahead, I knew that those flavors would be calling to me. Selecting recipes was tough... being the end of summer but not yet fall. The fall flavors won me over though, and drew me in a tiny bit early. Here were the choices for our Happy Hour... all winners, all devoured in record time and all definite keepers.

Baked Brie with Fig Jam

Puff pastry spread with fig jam, topped with a wheel of brie and wrapped up with an egg wash on top. This one was easy, but amazing in taste. Served up with firm crackers, there wasn't a speck left.

Cranberry- Caramelized Onion Cheese Spread

This one has a layer of blended cream cheese, cheddar and blue cheeses- topped with caramelized onions, cranberries and a touch of balsamic. We LOVED this. Great fall flavors all around.

Hot Wild Mushroom & Artichoke Dip

This dip calls for a mixture of wild mushrooms and portobellos. They're mixed with cream cheese, artichoke hearts, onions and spices and are heated up to bubbling. This recipe was definitely my fave. We had baguette slices and celery sticks for dunking.

The neighbors didn't have to go far after our party, so we had ourselves some fun with a variety of drinks... several choices of wine and beer, and a big jug of this amazing drink called Shark Attack from Guy Fieri (Food Network).

The neighbors brought amazing food too. I only wish I had photographed all of their food and asked for recipes! Next time...

Now that I've "fall"en forward, I'm consumed with thoughts of apples. I have a few ideas in the works, but in the meantime you can look forward to Happy Hour Desserts in my next post!

All of the recipes above can be found by clicking on the recipe titles.