This is an elegant, yet simple appetizer to offer during happy hour or as a pre-dinner snack. I will be serving these Pear, Honey and Blue Cheese Canapés on New Year’s Eve with a nice glass of sparkling wine from my friend Lisa, owner and wine-maker of Ridge of Wonders Wine Cellars. She makes a fantastic sparkling Gewurztraminer, called Pyroclastic, that is to die for. It pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the pear and honey and the saltiness and tang of the blue cheese in this appetizer. It’s a match made in heaven.
When making this appetizer, be sure to use a nice, rustic bread and a high quality blue cheese, such as Glacier Blue from Cascadia Creamery. High quality ingredients make a huge difference in the quality and taste of dishes and using great ingredients will take this appetizer to the next level.
To make this appetizer, toast ¼ cup of raw walnuts in a dry pan for about 6-8 minutes until golden in color. Keep an eye on the walnuts so as not to burn them. Toasting the walnuts brings out their flavor and nuttiness, so do not skip this step. Allow walnuts to cool, then chop and set aside.
Next, wash and thinly slice two medium-sized pears. Add the pears to a sauté pan along with 1 tablespoon of salted butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. Cover the pan and simmer the pears until soft, about 12 minutes.
Next, slice bread into wedges about the size of your palm, or slightly smaller, and about ¾ of an inch thick. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast under the broiler until golden. Toast both sides of the bread.
Once toasted, top each piece of bread with about a tablespoon of blue cheese (enough for a healthy layer of cheese per slice of bread), three slices of cooked pear and a sprinkling of toasted walnuts. When all canapés have been constructed, drizzle the juices from the cooked pears over the canapés and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Serve immediately.
Pear, Honey and Blue Cheese Canapes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- 2 pears, washed and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp local honey
- 6 ounces blue cheese
- 14 slices rustic bread
Instructions
- Toast and chop walnuts. Set aside.
- Wash and thinly slice pears. Add to a sauté pan along with butter and honey. Cover and cook the pears until soft, about 12 minutes. Set aside.
- Slice and toast bread.
- To assemble canapes, top toasted bread with a generous slice of blue cheese, 3-4 slices of cooked pear and a sprinkling of toasted walnuts. Repeat until all ingredients have been used.
- To finish the canapes, drizzle each with the juices from the cooked pears and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Serve immediately with a nice glass of sparkling wine. Enjoy!
