Caprese ala Chrismukkah

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On the first night of Hanukkah, I was invited to a Chrismukkah party in my neighborhood. He’s Jewish, she’s not—thus the hybrid. My neighbors know my foodie nature, so I knew I had to bring something good. Problem was, I was feeling uninspired.

from Veggiewala.com

The hostess actually found the perfect item on Pinterest (don’t you just love that site?). I took the caprese wreath just one step further, because this isn’t just a Christmas party, after all! Instead of the wreath shape, I decided to do it in the form of a Star of David (which is most appropriate, since the host’s name is David).

Ingredients

1 12-ounce package grape tomatoes

2 packages Ciliegine mozzarella, drained

Balsamic glaze (available at Trader Joe’s)

1 bunch basil

Tools

12-inch Styrofoam circle, 1-inch thick

Small hand saw with fine blade

Woodsies craft picks, toothpicks

Foil

The 12-inch Star perfectly held 45 skewers. To create a Star of David, all you need is a triangle template. Just remember that all sides have to be the same length to make a perfect triangle. Do this twice. Invert one triangle and place on top of the other, so that their centers align. Trace out the shape and cut with a fine-blade hand saw (though a knife will do in a pinch).

Cover the star in foil. Take the largest leaves of basil and place over the foil-wrapped Stryofoam. Angle the tip of the basil outward, and overlap as needed. I broke toothpicks into thirds and used them to tack down the leaves. Just make sure to push them in almost the whole way.

Rip the remaining basil leaves into pieces roughly the same size as the tomatoes. Skewer a mozzarella ball, followed by a tomato, and finish with a basil piece. Starting with the point, insert the pick into the Styrofoam until the basil leaf is touching. Repeat this with each point of the Star (should fit six). Place a dipping bowl in the center and then fill in the remaining gaps (I fit another 9). Add in the balsamic glaze and serve.  

It was a hit—not to mention, delicious!

Need more Chrismukkah ideas? Check out the tree toppers over at CraftingSuburbia.com