Endive Pear Haystacks
Prep Time: 75 min
Total Time: 15 min
Servings: 24
An elegant plated appetizer, featuring sugar-crusted pecans, savory cheese, fresh pears and a port wine glaze.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 heads endive
- 3 heads red endive
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 24 long chives
- 3 cups port wine
- 1 egg white, slightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 72 Carr's® Table Water® Crackers
- 18 ounces Stilton, blue or feta cheese, crumbled
- 3 Asian pears or red pears, cored and thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
1. Separate endive and red endive heads into individual leaves. Srpinkle with lemon juice. Gather endive leaves into twenty-four bundles. Use chives to tie each bundle together. Cut bottoms of bundles so they will stand on plates. Place in container and cover with damp paper towel. Refrigerate until needed.
2. In medium saucepan bring port wine to boiling. Genlty boil, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Cool.
3. Meanwhile, in small bowl toss together egg white, pecans and sugar. Spread on baking sheet lined with foil and coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and dry, stirring every 5 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Place crackers in single layer on baking sheets. Spoon cheese on crackers. Bake at 300°F for 3 to 5 minutes or until melted.
5. On 24 serving plates arrange endive bundles and pear slices. Drizzle with port. Add cheese-topped crackers and pecans to plates. Serve immediately.
