A Tale of Two Appetizers
Apr 18
I am back from my hiatus. I’ve missed blogging. I’ve missed reading blogs. The whole nine yards.
This last month has been a blur. New job. New house. Applying to grad school. Catering my Grandpa’s 90th birthday party. Making 130 wedding invitations (for a friend, my knot’s tied folks). What do I get myself into?
Anyway, one of the recipes I used for my G-pa’s birthday was a huge hit. It was fantastic.
My G-pa really likes blue cheese, it’s one of his favorite foods. My Mom found a really great recipe in a Pampered Chef catalog called Pecan-Crusted Blue Cheese Bites. The only way to describe it is as a blue cheese cheesecake. Seriously.
If there’s any chance that you might like blue cheese, try this recipe. It’s as fantastic as I say. And my aunt says. And my other aunt. And my cousin. And an abundance of other family members. Could my family be wrong?
Don’t answer that.
I’ll just leave it as the recipe that people requested the recipe for. I’ll be making it again for sure.
A Chocolate Covered To-Do List
2 cups toasted pecans, finely chopped
1 ½ oz Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
½ cup sour cream
3 eggs
Thinly sliced fruit (apples, plums, green & red grapes (optional) [I suggest sliced grapes]
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine pecans, Parmesan cheese, sugar and butter; mix well. Press this mixture onto bottom of a medium sheet pan. Bake 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together cream cheese, bluecheese, sour cream and eggs until smooth; pour over crust. Bake 20-23 minutes or until center is set. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
- To serve, cut into 24 squares, then cut each square diagonally to form 48 triangles. Top with thinly sliced fruit, if desired.
Yield: 24 servings
My other favorite recipe that was by far the easiest thing to make and so pleasing. The resistance to the teeth, the bite of the goat cheese, with the sweetness of the apple was mmm*smack*!
A Chocolate Covered To-Do List
There are no real measurements, just some basic guidelines really.
Puff Pastry Sheets
Granny Smith Apple (sliced into nearly paper-thin wedges)
Soft Goat Cheese
Thyme (dried or fresh), other herbs could work too
Olive Oil
1. Take the puff pastry sheets, cut them into 2inch x 2inch squares or so, whatever suits your fancy. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Spread the goat cheese on each square.
3. Place about 3 thin apple wedges on each square. Sprinkle some thyme on and drizzle olive oil over the whole thing on a cookie sheet.
4. Toss it in the oven for 30 minutes or so. Check it around the 20 minute mark, when the puff pastry is slightly browned it’s done.
Note: Tarts using puff pastry like this are incredibly flexible. You could do the same exact thing except with goat cheese crumbles, asparagus, and thyme like the above photo. Play with it!
