­When having a summer barbecue, a fruity, sweet summer drink is an absolute must. This refreshing Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail made with non-alcoholic sparkling wine is just right! I also like to surprise my friends with a few delicious barbecue appetizers, such as juicy Bacon-wrapped Prunes accompanied by sweet Grilled Pineapple with Honey!

This post is sponsored by Rimuss, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Crazy Kitchen possible!

Summer – at last

You can’t imagine how much I’ve been looking forward to summer. It’s so nice when outside is warmer than inside, or when the sun shines late in the evenings. I can spontaneously go running at 9 p.m., and I can eat as much fruit as I want. Yep: I am a huge fan of watermelons, cherries, strawberries, and nectarines.

I was especially looking forward to the summer of 2021: I finally finished my Matura (14 years of school) this summer! The feeling of finally being “free” is really indescribable! 🙂 So, I have a lot of reasons to celebrate this summer. That’s why I’m already looking forward to some barbecue parties!

Summer Barbecue

Summer barbecues are always a highlight for me. I love spending time with my family or friends and enjoying delicious food.

To be honest, I always look forward to the appetizers the most. The party has only just begun, you toast with a delicious drink (like the Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail I’m showing you today) and you get to help yourself to the first few snacks.

Sometimes the appetizers need to be a bit more special than usual. In my opinion, they should still be as simple as possible though, so that you can spend more time with your guests. That’s why I love Grilled Pineapple with Honey and Bacon-wrapped Prunes. Both of these treats are quick and easy to make, and you can prepare them quite well in advance!

Read below to see how I made both appetizers, and what tips I have for preparing them. At the end, I’ve also jotted down some other barbecue appetizer ideas for you.

Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail

The non-alcoholic Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail is really, really delicious – you’ll love it too! I like refreshing, sweet summer drinks that aren’t too time-consuming, but still cause a flavour explosion. This tropical Strawberry Pineapple Drink really meets all that criteria.

How to prepare the Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail

To prepare the drink, you’ll have to do two “hard” jobs at the beginning: You have to cut the pineapple and strawberries into pieces. Super hard, isn’t it? 😉

First you must peel the pineapple. I find that this step is easiest when using a sharp serrated knife. Please be super careful with this step! Then you can slice the pineapple and cut out the core. It’s not really a core, it’s just a tougher part of the fruit that is less edible. Finally, you can cut the slices into even smaller pieces or cubes.

The strawberries call for the same procedure. Wash them first, cut off the leaves and then, depending on the size of the strawberries, you can cut them in half, quarters or even smaller.

1. First, put the pineapple and strawberry pieces into a very large pitcher (about 3 liters) or a large bowl and sprinkle the sugar on top.
2. Then empty the whole bottle of the sweet non-alcoholic sparkling wine into it and stir gently a few times so that everything is nicely distributed. Afterwards, refrigerate the half-finished drink for at least an hour. If you have room in your fridge, you can store the cocktail in there, and if not, you can store it in another cool room.
   Tip: If you’re on a strict schedule, you can easily do this step a few hours ahead of time. However, I would not make the drink the day before, because then wine loses its fizz.
3. After letting the tropical fruit cocktail chill, you can add the chilled sweet sparkling wine and stir it gently.
4. Lay 1-2 mint leaves into each glass. Then pour in the Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail. Enjoy!

Tropical Fruit Cocktail Variations

Summer serves us a whole fruit palette to choose from. So, I have a few more ideas on how you can make this Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail. The addition of some basil leaves is totally optional, of course, but you’ll quickly notice that this does taste amazing, too!

• Pineapple and watermelon with mint leaves
• Raspberries, strawberries and mango
• Kiwi, apricots, (pitted) cherries, watermelon and basil

Bacon-wrapped Prunes

Bacon-wrapped prunes are a total appetizer-success every time. Smoky bacon goes absolutely wonderfully with juicy, sweet prunes!

Somehow this specialty is not very well known amongst my friends and family. Whenever I serve these, their eyes light up! The bacon-wrapped prunes are prepared in a jiffy, and they taste simply fantastic. You need to plan around 10 minutes for preparing them, and then you just pop them in the oven. Then you can re-join your guests or prepare something else in the meantime. Every time, I regret not preparing more – count on at least three, if not five, bacon-wrapped prunes per guest!

How to prepare the Bacon-wrapped Prunes

1. First, make sure your prunes are pitted. Then preheat the oven and put baking paper on a baking tray.
2. Cut all the bacon slices in half and wrap one prune in a bacon slice. Wrap the bacon in a way that the ends of the bacon overlap slightly.
3. Then, place the prune (with the overlapped bacon ends facing downwards) on the prepared baking sheet. The weight of the plum resting on top will ensure that the bacon does not come loose. Continue with the other plums.
4. Bake the prunes in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes at 200°C (see recipe box for exact details), then take the tray out. Be sure to enjoy them warm – I recommend having toothpicks ready because they can actually still be very hot inside.

You can prepare the Bacon-wrapped Prunes, also known as “Devils on Horseback”, the day before or a few hours before being eaten. Wrap the prunes in bacon, and then place them on the tray. Put the tray in a cool place until you bake the bacon-wrapped Prunes.

Alternatively, you can use other dried fruits (such as dried apricots). Bacon-wrapped dates would also work – but I find that bacon-dates are almost too sweet, and sticky compared to bacon-plums!

Grilled Pineapple with Honey

Grilled Pineapple with Honey is definitely my go-to grilled appetizer. I love the sweet freshness of the pineapple combined with the sweet, sticky honey! The grill then ensures that everything caramelizes nicely, and that a delicious crust forms in certain places. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Optionally, you can omit the honey butter marinade and enjoy the grilled pineapple without it. But I can really recommend you do to try the sweet version!

You can prepare these the day before your barbecue, or also a few hours in advance. Simply brush the marinade onto the pineapple slices, and let marinate in a Ziploc-bag until ready to use.

I find that the grilled honey pineapple can also be eaten as part of the main (grilled) meal. Or, of course, for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 🙂

How to prepare the Grilled Pineapple with Honey

First, you have to peel the pineapple and cut it into slices that are about 1 cm thick. I would not cut out the core yet, because this is easier after grilling when the flesh of the pineapple is softer.

Further, you have to make sure that the butter is at least softened to room temperature. If necessary, you can melt it.

If you have some honey butter marinade left at the end, you can brush it on the grilled pineapple again, or you can dip your meats/ other vegetables into the honey butter – this is also very tasty!

1. In a small bowl, begin by mixing the soft (or melted) butter and honey.
2. Then take a pineapple slice and brush both sides with the honey butter marinade and let the slices marinate for 10-15 minutes. If necessary, you can brush the slices again with the marinade before grilling them.
3. Then heat the grill to medium heat. I admit that I asked my Dad (the BBQ CEO) to help me. You will then grill the pineapple pieces for about 2-5 minutes per side until that black, classic grill pattern forms. If you have a griddle pan, you can also grill the pineapple slices in it.
4. Finally, remove the slices from the grill and, if you like, cut out the core or the firmer flesh. Depending on the size of the slices, you can cut them in half or into even smaller pieces. Be sure to enjoy the grilled honey pineapple slices when they’re still warm!

I hope you’ll enjoy these three barbecue appetizer ideas. Your next barbecue is sure to be a success!

Other Summer Appetizer Ideas

Sometimes it’s just too hot to fire up the grill. Or, sometimes, the grill is already occupied 😉

And I’m sure we all want to spend as much time as possible with our guests (instead of standing around in the kitchen for a long time). Therefore, delicious, quickly prepared appetizers are a good plan. Below, I have come up with some more Summer Appetizer Ideas:

• Refreshing fruits (e.g., watermelon, summer berries, peaches, apricots)
• Roasted, salted nuts (e.g., pistachios, cashew nuts, peanuts, macadamia)
• Caprese sticks (cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, and a basil leaf skewered onto a toothpick)
• Potato chips/crisps (in classic varieties such as salted, paprika, barbecue spice)
• Vegetable sticks and dip sauces
• Grilled vegetable skewers

I hope I was able to inspire you, and that you are ready for summer! If it’s really hot, be sure to make the Strawberry Pineapple Cocktail – it’s super refreshing! 🙂

You might also like …

• These simple yet super tasty Baguette Appetizers. You’ll love the tomato mozzarella version!
• If you need an easy, cool dessert to round off your barbecue party, be sure to give my No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake Bars a go. This recipe is one of the most visited recipes on my blog – just try it yourself!

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