Baked Cheese Olives
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (your favorite)
40 large green olives, with pimento
In a medium-size bowl, cream butter. Mix in flour, cheese, paprika,
cumin, and hot sauce. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least an hour (can be
made ahead a day ahead).
Dry olives on paper towels. With a ball of cheese mixture that is close
in size to the olive, flatten the cheese mixture in your palm, plop the
olive in the center, work the mixture up around the olive, and then
very gently roll it around between your palms. Make sure the cheese
mixture completely seals in the olive. Repeat with remaining olives.
Place the cheese-wrapped olives on a parchment-lined baking sheet and
place in freezer until frozen. Once frozen, you can store in resealable
plastic bags in the freezer until you are read to bake them.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If you are planning to bake immediately,
place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Prior to baking, remove
olive from the freezer and allow to stand at room temperature for
approximately 15 minute (while the oven is heating). Place olives on a baking
sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to slightly
warm. Serve at room temperature to slightly warm.
Makes 40 olive balls.
