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Savory Bonbons To Ruin Your Dinner (In The Best Way)

When I invite guests over for dinner, I'm always thinking about something simple I can prepare ahead of time that will keep them occupied while I cook the meal. (A couple cocktails also never hurt.)

These savory bonbons fit the bill perfectly. They are a play on the little sweet, chocolate treats you usually enjoy after dinner.

Little Red Flavor Bullets

Before we start the assembly process, I had to soak my sun-dried tomatoes in hot water. This will take anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on how tender your tomatoes are to begin with. You want your sun-dried tomatoes to be soft and malleable so you can curve them around the goat cheese. (Think of them like mini taco shells.)

My suggestion for buying sun-dried tomatoes is to look for ones that still have their bright red color. Those will be nice and tender.

Heads up that some sun-dried tomatoes have been salted, so be sure to taste as you go. Remember, you can always add more salt to the goat cheese mixture, but you can't take it out once it's in there.

Nut 'N Cheese Sandwich

The Walnut and Roquefort bonbons are even easier to prepare.

The most difficult part is the toasting of the walnuts. Toast them in a 400-degree oven for eight minutes -- but watch them like a hawk, because they go from brown to black in no time flat!

You'll be glad you took this extra step, because the walnuts will be crunchier and more nutty in flavor.

Then, take two walnut halves and smash a ball of Roquefort cheese in between. It's like a really decadent (and really tiny) sandwich!

Sun-Dried Tomato Bonbons With Herbed Goat Cheese

Ingredients

  • 12 sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 pound soft, fresh goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped herbs of your choosing (like scallions and basil)
  • 1/2 clove of garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in warm water until they are very tender. Remove from water and pat dry. Place on a sheet tray, cut-side up.
  2. Mix goat cheese with the herbs and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place a spoonful of seasoned cheese on each of the tomatoes and fold over.
  4. Chill until served.


Nut 'N Cheese Sandwich

The Walnut and Roquefort bonbons are even easier to prepare.

The most difficult part is the toasting of the walnuts. Toast them in a 400-degree oven for eight minutes - but watch them like a hawk, because they go from brown to black in no time flat!

You'll be glad you took this extra step, because the walnuts will be crunchier and more nutty in flavor.

Then, take two walnut halves and smash a ball of Roquefort cheese in between. It's like a really decadent (and really tiny) sandwich!

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