LUCY BURDETTE: Okay Reds, since 50% of us are attending the New England Crimebake this weekend, I'm posting the most wonderful hors d'oeuvre I can come up with so you can snack while we're away. These are positively decadent and delicious. There's one drawback: They look like little thumbprint jam cookies so it takes a while for the party guests to catch on that you're talking cheese, not sugar. Once a few people taste them, however, word spreads like wildfire and the plate will be snatched clean. So gobble a couple before you put them out. This recipe came from my good friend Cathy Crook.
HOT PEPPER JELLY CHEESE PUFFS
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup flour
Hot pepper jelly
Mix the first 3 ingredients until they hold together in a ball--either by hand or using food processor. Chill 1/2 hour. Roll into small balls (no bigger than an inch thick.) Bake at 400 degrees for five minutes. Remove them from the oven and make depressions in the top of the puffs with the back of a spoon. Fill with hot pepper jelly. Return puffs to the oven and bake until golden. (5-7 more minutes.)
