New Year's Eve appetizers!

CHICOPEE, Mass. (Mass Appeal) - Personal Chef Bill Collins, showed us how to how to make some tasty and delicious appetizers for your New Year's Eve party, dates with gorgonzola and bacon and cheese straws!

Dates with Gorgonzola and Bacon
Makes 12 pieces

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Gorgonzola cheese
• 2 oz goat cheese
• 3 strips thick bacon, cut into ¼” dice
• 12 dates. Medjool variety works well
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Cook the bacon, and set aside.
3. Get gorgonzola and goat cheeses to room temp.  Mush them together, and add the cooled bacon.
4. Make a slit in the top of the dates, and remove the pits.  KEEP BOTTOM OF THE DATE INTACT.  Put approximately one teaspoon of the cheese & bacon mixture into the date.  Place on sheet pan, and bake for less than 5 minutes, or until dates are heated through.
5. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.
    

Cheese Straws

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Rounded 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Pulse cheese, flour, butter, salt, and cayenne in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until dough forms a ball.
3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12- by 10-inch rectangle (1/8 inch thick). Cut dough with a lightly floured pizza wheel or lightly floured sharp knife into 1/3-inch-wide strips, or any shapes that you like.
4. Carefully transfer to 2 ungreased baking sheets, arranging strips 1/4 inch apart. (If strips tear, pinch back together.)
5. Bake, switching position of sheet pans in the oven halfway through baking, until pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
6. Cool completely on baking sheets on racks, about 15 minutes

Yield:  Approximately 2 dozen cheese straws

NOTE: If you don’t have a food processor, this also works just fine when being mixed by hand.