There is a new trend sweeping the catering nation and I am all for it.  We’ve all been there; you’re at a wedding juggling a glass of wine, your overly-crammed purse (you brought the cute little one that matches your shoes, but it can’t possibly hold even half your necessary arsenal- that’s what your husband’s pockets are for!), and the ornate wedding program you’re trying desperately to hang on to though know in your heart of hearts it won’t make it past the champagne toast before it’s carelessly tossed on the buffet table so you can get out on the dance floor and bring “Sexy Back.”  Just as you’re wishing you had a third hand, a waiter comes by with a tray of salmon caviar toasts.  They look innocent enough so you somehow find a way to shift your possessions to make room for the little delicacy.  Once you’ve got it in your hand (of course you forgot to grab a napkin) what looked like one bite on the tray suddenly seems like stuffing Mount Everest inside Moby Dick.  There is no way to eat this daintily because if you bite it in half you’ll get crumbs everywhere, but if you try to shove in the whole thing you’ll be out of commission chewing down your blowfish cheeks for five minutes.  Frustrated, you pass it off to your husband and decide to seek out another drink; if you can’t eat you might as well screw up enough liquid courage to not care what you look like doing the Running Man to YMCA later, right?

 We all know how much trouble this scenario can lead to, thankfully one bite wonders have hit ground running in the party circuit this year, so don’t fret; you should be able to get through the upcoming holiday season fete’s without deciding to regale your bemused coworkers with your over-the-top rendition of Paula Abdul’s Coldhearted Snake.  The trick to creating these delectable little canapés is to start with a cracker base half the size you initially think is appropriate.  Once you pile them high with goodness, they will be plenty big.  Feel free to use my recipe as a rough guideline; there is no steadfast need to use duck breast prosciutto rather than a nicely aged prosciutto di Parma- I just happened to have it on hand.  You could possibly substitute the membrillo, which is quince paste, with another tart, firm jelly, but if you can find membrillo at your local specialty market or Whole Foods, it is worth your efforts.  Typically membrillo is paired with Manchego cheese (and I like to throw in Marcona almonds for good measure).  Because I wanted to complement the duck breast prosciutto and let it be the star attraction, however, I opted to go with a lighter, creamier sheep’s milk cheese from the French side of the Pyrenees mountain range. 

Membrillo Prosciutto Canapes

• 1 package artisan crackers or flatbreads  broken into bite-sized jagged pieces
• As many small slices of duck prosciutto (or regular) as you have pieces of cracker
• Thinly shaved sheep’s milk cheese or other mild cheese of your choice
• Membrillo

1.  Arrange your cracker pieces on a serving platter.  Pile them with pieces of prosciutto and cheese.  Finish them with tiny slivers of membrillo, serve, and dance the night away!