OLIVE BALLS

Our family gathered for the final, post Thanksgiving Football game between Arkansas and LSU. I have learned over the years that it inevitably turns into an emotionally charged, quietly passionate few hours, with different family members supporting opposite teams. I'm not personally vested in what is on the screen, but tend to focus on the food while attempting to ignore the mounting hostilities in the room - the guacamole, queso, corn chips and bloody mary's we had this year were delicious, and I brought these Olive Balls as my quick contribution to the appetizers

OLIVE BALLS

1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
stuffed green olives

Heat oven to 400F.
Blend cheese and butter together. Mix in flour, salt and cayenne pepper. Shape 2 teaspoons of dough around each olive. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

PASTRY TURNOVERS WITH BLUE CHEESE

A friend graciously invited a group of ladies to her home for lunch - she had been in a supper club where each time they assembled, they chose a different theme, and she was excited to start up another such gathering.
It was a truly wonderful group of Mademoiselles, some I knew, and some I met for the first time. There was fabulous, meaningful conversation, a wonderful sensation of feeling connected and my tastebuds were extremely happy with the chosen French theme.
I was excited to try these petit chaussons, but of course I was running late and didn't have time to make my own pastry, as Julia Childs suggested in the recipe, so I used store bought puff pastry. Because I was so busy fixing my hair, I overcooked the turnovers, which resulted in them looking a little unattractive, and caused a lot of the filling to ooze out, so it seemed like I was biting into an empty pastry shell. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
In an effort to redeem myself, I have made them since, using store bought pie dough and it worked much better. I had simplified my hair style, so they were cooked perfectly, the filling remained contained and they were fabulously delicious. One day, when I have the time, and perhaps even less hair, I would love to try and make my own pastry dough.

PASTRY TURNOVERS WITH BLUE CHEESE or PETITS CHAUSSONS AU ROQUEFORT

1/2 pound Roquefort or blue cheese
1/4 pound softened butter
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cognac
1 1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 to 6 tablespoons of cream
chilled pastry dough
1 egg beaten in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon water

Mash the cheese in a bowl with a fork. Beat in the butter then the egg yolks, cognac, pepper and chives.
Beat in the cream by tablespoons but do not let the mixture thin out too much. It should remain a fairly thick paste. Correct seasoning.
Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. With a ravioli whee or a knife, cut the dough into 2 1/2 inch squares. Heat oven to 425F.
Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each square. One by one, paint a 1/4 inch border of beaten egg around the edges of the pastry. Fold the pastry over on itself to form a triangle. Press the edges together firmly with your fingers. Press them again making a design with the tines of a fork. Place on a buttered baking sheet and continue with the rest of the turnovers. Paint the tops with beaten egg.
Poke a 1/8 inch hole in the center of each pasty top so cooking steam can escape.
Bake in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck, 2009

ROASTED BANANA SCONES WITH PEANUT BUTTER GLAZE

After Christmas, our family rented an RV and took a trip down South. We stopped for lunch in Tupelo, Mississippi and visited the birthplace of Elvis Presley. Having to explain to the kids who he was took a little of the fun out of it, and they really couldn't have cared less about the King of Rock and Roll.
It is rumored Elvis's favorite food was a peanut butter and banana sandwich, here is an interesting take on the combination. I roasted 3 bananas, but was short on butter so decided to make 1/2 the recipe - the bananas by them selves were absolutely delicious, and made for a sweet treat for breakfast.
My husband commented on how moist these scones were and my daughter just kept correcting my pronunciation of scones! I am sure Elvis Presley never had his accent ridiculed.

ROASTED BANANA SCONES WITH PEANUT BUTTER GLAZE

3 bananas, sliced
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
GLAZE
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 325F. Place bananas in a medium baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and caramelized. Let cool.
Increase oven temperature to 375F. Spray two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/3 cup light brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs, the ricotta cheese and the roasted bananas with a hand mixer until mixed. Mixture will be lumpy. Add banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand until just combined.
Drop dough into 12 equal mounds on baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Brush tops with the beaten egg (I skipped this step). Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
About 5 minutes before scones come out of the oven, make the glaze. Place the peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. When scones come out of oven, place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet and drizzle with the glaze (my glaze turned out to be more of an icing consistency, so there was spreading instead of drizzling).
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Dining Guide, July 2012
www.nwaonline.com/news/2012/jul/01/diy-delicious/