Cheese Pesto Bites Food

CHEESE & PESTO WHIRLS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and 1½ tsp fine salt in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a tabletop mixer. Measure out 300ml warm water and add roughly 280ml to the flour, along with the olive oil, and start mixing until the ingredients start to clump together as a dough. If the dough seems a little dry, add the remaining water. Once combined, knead for 10 mins by hand on your work surface, or for 5 mins on a medium speed in a mixer. The dough is ready when it feels soft, springy and elastic. Clean the bowl, drizzle in a little oil, then pop the dough back in, turning it over and coating the sides of the bowl in oil. Cover with some oiled cling film and set aside in a warm place to double in size - this will take 1-3 hrs, depending on the temperature.
• Line a baking tray with parchment. Uncover the dough and punch it down a couple of times with your fist, knocking out all the air bubbles. Tip out onto a floured work surface and dust the top with a little flour too, if it is sticky. Roll the dough out to a rectangle, roughly 40 x 30cm. Spread the pesto over the dough, then scatter over the tomatoes, both cheeses and the basil. Roll the dough up from one of the longer sides, into a long sausage.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Place on the baking tray, cut-side up, in a 3-by-4 formation, making sure the open end of each roll is tucked in towards the centre on the arrangement - this will prevent them from uncoiling during cooking. Leave a little space between each roll as they will grow and touch as they prove. Loosely cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove for 30 mins-1 hr until almost doubled in size again. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Uncover the bread when it is puffed up. Bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 35-40 mins until golden brown and the centre looks dry and not doughy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 10 mins.

PESTO SAUSAGE BISCUIT BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Press each biscuit into a 4-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread 1/2 teaspoon pesto over top of each biscuit. Place 1 sausage link on the edge of each biscuit and roll dough around sausage. Cut each roll into 4 pieces and place on a baking sheet; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until biscuits are golden brown and sausage is cooked, 8 to 10 minutes.

CHEESY BRUSCHETTA SPREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, pesto, salt and pepper until combined. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Top with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Cook, covered, on low until heated though and cheese begins to melt, 1-1/2-2 hours. If desired, sprinkle with basil. Serve with toasted bread.

CHEESE BITES (TOTALLY ADDICTIVE)

Steps:

• Combine cheese, butter, flour, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl: knead into a dough.
• Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on an un-greased baking sheet.
• If using olives, form each ball around 1 olive.
• If using pecans, press 1 pecan half onto each ball.
• Can bake them right now (see instructions below) or freeze for later.
• Place in trays in freezer for 30 minutes.
• Remove from freezer and place in freezer bags or container.
• Seal and freeze.
• Can bake them straight from freezer.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place cheese balls 3 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet.
• Bake 15-17 minutes if frozen, 13-15 minutes if thawed.

PESTO EGG MUFFIN BITES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spray a 12-hole muffin tin with the oil spray. Evenly divide the tomatoes among the holes, and top each one with around 2 tsp of the feta or goat's cheese.
• Crack the eggs into a large bowl, then add the milk, pesto and seasoning and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture evenly into each hole.
• Bake for 20 mins or until the egg is set. Cool for 2-3 mins in the tin, then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

TOMATO & FETA PESTO BITES

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry on a surface lightly dusted with the Parmesan to about the thickness of a ten-pence piece. Stamp out 12 rounds using a 6cm plain cutter and line a shallow 12-hole bun tin. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6.
• Prick each pastry base with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, tear the leaves from the parsley stalks and put all but 12 of the small sprigs in a food processor with the pine nuts, then whizz until coarsely chopped. Then add the feta, garlic and oil and whizz to make a thick paste. Keep the reserved sprigs in a bowl of water in the fridge. The pastry bases will keep in a tin for up to 2 days and the pesto will keep in the fridge overnight.
• To serve, dollop a spoonful of the feta pesto onto the tarts and top each one with two cherry tomato halves. Garnish with the reserved parsley sprigs. Arrange on a platter and hand round with a bowl of black olives and sparkling mint & lemon juleps.

CHEESE & PESTO BITES

Steps:

• Cut cheese slices in half.
• Place on crackers.
• Top with pesto and peppers.