Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Apples and cheese have always complemented each other. Delicious together as a quick snack or as a warm slice of apple pie topped with a slice of cheddar.   This appetizer recipe is made with tart green apples in a brown sugar sauce with a pinch of black pepper, aged extra-sharp cheddar and served in little buttery mini bread baskets.

Inspired by Midwives

Prep time:  15 minutes        Cook time:   15 minutes total          Yield: 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

Mini Bread Baskets

• 12 slices of bread (I used a walnut multigrain bread in the photo above, but plain old white bread works just as well)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Apple Filling

• 3 large tart green apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and diced into little 1/2″ cubes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces of extra-sharp aged white cheddar, such as Vermont’s Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Set aside a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
2. Cover a work area with a large piece of  parchment paper (this step is a bit messy) and with a 3″ round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 2 circles out of each bread slice.  You will need 24 3″ bread circles in all.   Brush both sides of each bread round with melted butter.
3. Carefully press each round into each of the mini muffin pan cups.  Place pan in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes until the mini bread baskets are toasted.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then leaving bread baskets in mini muffin pan, turn them a bit to make sure they are not stuck to the pan.  Allow to cool completely.
4. In a 10 inch skillet, add the butter and brown sugar.  Bring mixture to gentle boil and continue boiling for about 2 minutes.  Stir in apples, salt and pepper and continue cooking for about 8-10 minutes until apples soften, stirring occasionally.   Set aside.
5. Preheat oven broiler on high.  Cut cheese into 24 1″ x 1″ square pats about 1/4″ thick (you won’t use all the cheese.)  Set aside.
6. With a teaspoon, carefully fill cooled bread baskets with apple mixture.  Top each basket with a cheese pat.  Place under broiler, to melt the cheese.  Keep checking the broiler every 15 or 20 seconds.  Do not let the cheese burn.  Once cheese is melted remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.  Carefully remove from pan to serving dish.  Serve warm.