Toasted Pecan And English Stilton Napoleons

These bite-sized pecan sandwiches with a layer of creamy Stilton cheese between them would be even better if made with spiced pecans (see recipe below). The presentation is impressive for such a simple-to-prepare hors d'oeuvres. If you reduce the recipe, do not use a food processor; make the cheese mixture by hand. Garnish with chopped chives.

Ingredients:
96 (about 5 ounces) perfect pecan halves
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 ounces Stilton cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons port
1/2 teaspoon honey
pinch of cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnishing



Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until browned and aromatic, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. (If using spiced pecans you can omit this entire step.)

2. Combine the cream cheese, Stilton, port, honey, and pepper in a food processor, process until smooth. Transfer to a sealable plastic bag and squeeze mixture into one corner.

3. To assemble: spread 24 pecan halves flat-side down on the sheet tray. Cut a small tip off the corner of the bag of cheese mixture. Pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of the cheese mixture evenly onto each pecan half. Top with a second pecan, flat-side down, and pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of the cheese mixture onto each napoleon. Sprinkle with chopped chives to garnish.

4. Do ahead tips: the pecans can be toasted up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. The Stilton mixture can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated; bring it to room temperature before assembly. Assemble up to 3 hours in advance and let sit at room temperature.

Makes 48 napoleons.