A little time is all it takes to make these impressive appetizers, featuring easy "crackers" made from Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust and topped with cheese, apple and candied bacon.
Bake-Off® Contest 44, 2010
Stephanie Lemus
Westlake Village, California
-
1
-
box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
-
1
-
egg
-
1
-
tablespoon water
-
1
-
tablespoon sea salt
-
1/3
-
cup packed dark or light brown sugar
-
1/2
-
teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
-
20
-
thin slices center-cut bacon (about 12 oz)
-
1/2
-
cup water
-
1
-
teaspoon granulated sugar
-
1
-
tablespoon lemon juice
-
2
-
small Granny Smith apples
-
4
-
oz cream cheese (half of 8-oz package), softened
-
1 1/4
-
cups crumbled blue cheese (6 oz)
Steps
-
1
Heat oven to 400°F. Line large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Unroll pie crusts on work surface. Using 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 20 rounds from each crust, rerolling dough if necessary. Place on cookie sheet; prick each round twice with fork. In small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon water until well blended; brush on rounds. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Cool while preparing bacon.
-
2
Line 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking parchment paper. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and red pepper. Place bacon with sides touching in pan; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until sugar is hot and bubbly. Remove bacon from pan to a plate; let stand 10 to 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using sharp knife, cut each bacon slice into 4 pieces.
-
3
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Cut each unpeeled apple into 20 (2x1/4-inch) slices; place in water mixture and refrigerate.
-
4
In another small bowl, mix cream cheese and blue cheese with wooden spoon, leaving small pieces of blue cheese visible. Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with 3/4-inch tip; pipe onto each cracker. Drain apple slices; pat dry. For each cracker, place 1 apple slice between 2 bacon pieces; press at an angle into cheese mixture.
-
1
Heat oven to 400°F. Line large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Unroll pie crusts on work surface. Using 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 20 rounds from each crust, rerolling dough if necessary. Place on cookie sheet; prick each round twice with fork. In small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon water until well blended; brush on rounds. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Cool while preparing bacon.
-
2
Line 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking parchment paper. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and red pepper. Place bacon with sides touching in pan; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until sugar is hot and bubbly. Remove bacon from pan to a plate; let stand 10 to 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using sharp knife, cut each bacon slice into 4 pieces.
-
3
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Cut each unpeeled apple into 20 (2x1/4-inch) slices; place in water mixture and refrigerate.
-
4
In another small bowl, mix cream cheese and blue cheese with wooden spoon, leaving small pieces of blue cheese visible. Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with 3/4-inch tip; pipe onto each cracker. Drain apple slices; pat dry. For each cracker, place 1 apple slice between 2 bacon pieces; press at an angle into cheese mixture.
Expert Tips
If a pastry bag is not available, use a 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, cutting a 3/4-inch tip from one corner.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Serving Size: 1 Canapé
- Calories
- 90
- Calories from Fat
- 50
% Daily Value
- Total Fat
- 6g
- 9%
-
- Saturated Fat
- 2 1/2g
- 14%
- Trans Fat
- 0g
- Cholesterol
- 15mg
- 5%
- Sodium
- 370mg
- 15%
- Total Carbohydrate
- 8g
- 3%
-
- Dietary Fiber
- 0g
- 0%
- Sugars
- 3g
- Protein
- 2g
- Vitamin A
- 0%
- 0%
- Vitamin C
- 0%
- 0%
- Calcium
- 2%
- 2%
- Iron
- 0%
- 0%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Bake-Off is a registered trademark of General Mills ©2011
© 2016 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved