{ Gruyere Olive Poppers }

A couple years ago my friend Helen and I took a class at Tante Marie Cooking School in San Francisco. We signed up for the class that was taught by Tori Ritchie. She is a graduate of the school and teaches regularly there. Tori has a vast affinity for Italian flavors and makes simple dishes that pack a lot of flavor. One of the recipes she shared with us was for Olive Poppers. Tori made these with cheddar cheese and I switched it for gruyere. Both tasty - just wanted to mix it up.

When you have a moment, check out her website - Tuesday Recipe. She has wonderful recipes that are simple, tasty and are complete crowd pleasers.

These olive poppers are just one of those simple appetizers that for folks who love olives won't be able to get enough of. I am hosting a cocktail party tonight for about a dozen of my friends and I want to celebrate the season with everyone and make it a memorable evening for everyone.

This is a fantastic appetizer for a cocktail party, casual get together or just watching your favorite television show. Your friends will not be able to get enough of these tasty little nuggets. Enjoy!

Gruyere Olive Poppers

2 Cups (8 ounces) finely grated gruyere cheese
5 T. butter, softened
1 C. flour
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
About 36 “queen” or large pimento stuffed olives

Preheat oven to 400. Grate the cheese onto a board covered with wax paper with a traditional box grater. The wax paper will allow you to transfer to a food processor easily. Add cheese to food processor along with the butter, flour and cayenne pepper. Whirl until the dough is blended, but doesn’t form a ball. Remove the blade and transfer to a large bowl. Work with your hands to form a ball.

Note: You “may” need to add a bit of warm water, to form the ball. Add 1 teaspoon at a time – dough should not be too sticky but more on the dry side. (If you need to add water it should be no more than 1 tablespoon.)

Drain olives and lay on a paper towel to dry. To shape the poppers, scoop about 1 heaping teaspoon of the dough into the palm of your hand and roll into a ball. Then flatten into a thin disk between your palms. Place an olive in the dough; shape the dough around the olive and into a ball. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Continue until all the dough is gone.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the dough looks dry and golden. Serve warm.

*Inspired by Tori Ritchie who used cheddar cheese

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