I can't believe I haven't tried these before. So painfully simple, and yet they are elegant in their own way.
Cucumber cups start with some great cucumbers. I worked with English "burpless" cucumbers since I could get them at Costco in bulk, for cheap.
Then, I chose not to peel the entire cucumber, since that would make them too slippery. I left little grips around the edges.
I then cut each cucumber into 12 pieces. Some could have been smaller, but I was more interested in the number 12. Ideally, you should aim for a size that could easily fit in your whole mouth at once, but I just wanted a number I could tabulate quickly.
Whatever, we already know how odd I am.
No apologies.
Next, use that handy dandy melon baller and scoop out the middle of the cucumber, creating the cup. I used the smaller end of my baller, but you can use whatever size you think makes the best scoop.
For fillings, I found several different recipes.
Spinach dip,
crab dip,
cheese dip, etc., etc. A quick Google search will give you a ton of ideas. However, I was making enough other appetizers that I didn't want to overlap any of my other flavors presented.
So, as I was perusing the aisles of the Costco, I discovered some Mango Pico de Gallo, and some Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. I picked up a tub of each.
The mango pico was great to just scoop in by the teaspoonful. However, for the hummus, I piped it through a broad frosting tip to give it a little swirl.
I think the hummus was my favorite. Not because I eat it, but because it was fun to pipe on.
To top it off, I was going to sprinkle some paprika for color, but I didn't have any. Instead, I used some Chipotle red pepper sprinkled over it instead. Same color, still spicy, but not so much to be over powering.
(And no, Mom, I didn't serve it on a red paper plate. This was just my plate to refill from.)
