Sesame Cheddar Olive Poppers

This recipe was published by Kathy Casey, who, I just discovered, got this recipe from the late caterer, Gretchen Mathers. Although I don't usually like green olives, I LOVED these. The surrounding cheesy-dough goes well with the tart olives. The recipe calls for them to be served hot, but they're good warm (and if you're lucky enough to have any refrigerated leftovers, they make a great late-night snack). I've assembled then frozen them, just baking them for a few extra minutes. They're a bit labor intensive at first, but once you get the hang of them, you can assemble more than 50 in less than an hour. Smaller olives work best. I've doubled the recipe, but even that many will disappear quickly at a party, so I'll triple it next time I take them to a potluck. If you don't like sharp cheddar, medium works well - I've even substituted mild cheddar when I knew I had guests who disliked harsh cheese.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 24 poppers

Ingredients

• 4  ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted (sift first, then measure)
• 1  dash cayenne pepper (optional)
• 24  pimento-stuffed green olives, small to medium, drained & patted dry (if you don't, the dough won't want to stick)
• 1⁄3 cup sesame seeds (white, black, or a mixture of both)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F Beat grated cheese and butter together in a mixer or food processor, then stir in the flour and cayenne.
2. Shape dough into a log shape, and slice into exactly how many olives you have. After a making a few, you will get a feel for how much dough you need for each olive.
3. Use the thumb of one hand to press each piece of dough into a flat pancake, then press the dough around an olive, covering it well and rolling the dough into a ball with your palms.
4. Place sesame seeds in a small bowl; roll each ball in the seeds, then place on an ungreased cookie sheet; bake for 15 minutes; serve hot.