Put the first guests to arrive at ease by asking them to help you in the kitchen, light candles, get drinks for others and set out last-minute snacks like nuts and olives.

Here are two fun and easy recipes to ring in the New Year at your own get-together.

Mansfield Manor Appetizer Shrimp

Start this dish 6 hours before your party, as the shrimp needs to marinate.

Makes enough for about 10 guests.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup minced celery

1/4 cup minced shallot

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3 teaspoons red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact

Directions:

Shake all ingredients except 1 teaspoon oil in a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours. Drain with a sieve; shake off excess marinade. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp in single-layer batches until pink, about 3 to 5 minutes, shaking pan to turn shrimp. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Parmesan Herb Wafers

Parmesan is my favorite cheese to add to just about anything, cook with, as well as to snack on with a glass of wine.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coarsely freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sprigs of fresh tarragon

Leaves of fresh basil

Leaves of fresh sage

Fresh ground black pepper

Flakes of crushed red pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spoon grated Parmesan onto a cookie sheet in 1 to 2 teaspoon-size mounds about 2 inches apart. Push down on the Parmesan mounds with the back of a spoon to slightly spread out the cheese. Place an herb sprig or leaf or sprinkling of peppers on top of each Parmesan mound.

Bake until melted and golden (about 3-4 minutes).

WHOOPEE PIES

The name says it all! Who can resist a whoopee pie? Another fun treat to make with little helpers.

Ingredients:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s or Scharffen Berger

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons fine salt

18 large marshmallows, (not minis)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.

Put the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until moistened. Switch to a rubber spatula and finish folding the batter together; take care not to over-mix.

Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto the prepared pan. Repeat to make 36 cookies, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly touched, about 6 minutes.

Cool the cookies slightly. Transfer half of the cookies to a rack. Turn the remaining cookies on the pan over, so they lay flat side up. Place a marshmallow on top of each flipped cookie and return pan to the oven. Cook just until the marshmallow begins to soften and puff, about 3 minutes. Cool marshmallow topped cookies slightly, about 2 minutes. Top with the remaining cookies, pressing lightly to make sandwiches. Cool whoopee pies completely on wire racks. Serve.

Store in tightly sealed container for up to 1 week.