Baking these savory cheese bites in mini muffin tins makes them the perfect bite-sized amuse bouche for your holiday gathering. Crisp on the outside with a tender center, the subtle sweetness comes from the pears, which keep their flavor even after baking. These are delicious warm from the oven, but just as good served room temperature; a perfect appetizer to make ahead to serve with the mulled wine spritzer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Gorgonzola cheese
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup toasted walnuts chopped
- 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2% milk or non-dairy almond milk
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 large egg beaten
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3 small pears peeled cored and chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Lightly coat your mini muffin tin with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cheese, baking powder, walnuts, rosemary, pepper and salt.
In another bowl combine milk, butter, egg, lemon juice and chopped pears.
Add the milk-egg mixture to the dry ingredients, combining quickly with a few swift strokes not to overmix.
Use a tablespoon or a melon baller to fill muffin cups with batter ½ full. Bake in center of oven 15–20 minutes, until golden.
Cool slightly on a rack and serve warm, or room temperature or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge until serving.
These can easily be reheated in a preheated oven at 350°F for 6–8 minutes.
