Though the words “holiday” and “cooking” may bring thoughts of juicy roasted turkeys and succulent hams to mind, nothing makes a party special like appetizers — though perhaps cocktails rank a close second. This year, make your holiday party memorable by preparing unique appetizers that taste great and look lovely.

Add a blast of color to your holiday table with goat-cheese puffs. Partially thaw a sheet of frozen puff-pastry dough, cut into two-inch rounds and brush with beaten egg. Bake until golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine a minced clove of garlic with a bit of kosher salt, then blend with a package of soft goat cheese — such as chevre — and a couple tablespoons of unsalted butter. Pulse with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and a pinch of black pepper. Top the puff pastry rounds with a scoop of cheese mixture and a basil leaf. Other flavorful combinations include garlic, lemon and rosemary.

For an easy-to-make treat, poach fruit in sweet wine. Use any small, hard fruit; crab apples or little pears are ideal. In a large pot, simmer two cups of a sweet, white wine, such as Riesling, Moscato or Gewurztraminer, with a cup of sugar, a pinch of salt and traditional winter spices, such as cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and orange peel. When the sugar has dissolved, add up to two pounds of fruit — don’t remove stems — and simmer for about five minutes. Remove and let the fruits cool before serving.

Guests will munch these crunchy roasted chickpeas by the handful. Simply drain, rinse and dry canned chickpeas, lightly coat with olive oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast about 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Sprinkle your choice of spices — combinations like cumin and cayenne, smoked paprika and garlic, Creole seasoning, lime juice and chili powder, garam masala or Chinese five-spice all work well — and a bit of salt on the baked chickpeas.

For a healthy green appetizer, blend avocados with non-fat sour cream, lime juice, minced red onion and chopped tomatoes. If your guests like it spicy, add a drop of hot sauce. Serve with blue- and red-corn tortilla chips for more color.

Update a classic pinochle-party appetizer: cheesy baked olives. Drain stuffed, green olives and pat dry. Mix grated cheese, such as sharp cheddar or gruyere, with flour, unsalted butter and spices — choose or combine cayenne, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic or chili power — to create a smooth dough. Wrap each olive in dough and bake until they turn light golden-brown.

Laura Davis currently writes for Accessrx, an online facilitator for discreet medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra online.  Laura has extensive background in health and wellness and enjoys offering her tips on the AccessRx Research Center and AccessRx Health Blog.