Grapes With Gorgonzola And Pecans     
Posted by: Mary Ellen Wed, 17 Nov 2004, at 7:17 p.m.


Yields about 48

Serve these to nibble with pre-meal drinks or as part of a cheese course; they look particularly cute arranged in clusters on a grape or fig leaf.
 

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped pecans
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces gorgonzola or other blue cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons whipping cream, half-and-half or milk
1/2 pound (about 1 1/4 cups) small seedless red or green grapes (or both), rinsed and dried well
 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, blue cheese and cream with an electric mixer until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Completely cover each grape with about 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture. Roll each ball in pecans until well coated.

Nutritional analysis per grape: 62 calories, 6 grams fat, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 47 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 82 percent of calories from fat.

- ‘‘Nuts: Sweet and Savory Recipes From Diamond of California,’’ by Tina Salter