Cheddar Muffins

These Cheddar Muffins could really be delicious cheesy bread masquerading as muffins... or maybe cheddar biscuits disguised as muffins. 

These cheddar muffins are loaded with cheese and flavored with shallots, just a bit of cornmeal, Dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper, and Tabasco sauce. They have just the right amount of kick.

Stuffed Pretzel Bites

These pretzel bites are stuffed with little sausages or mini hot dogs. They are ridiculously good and amazingly easy to make. They only take about an hour and a half from start to finish.

That I could make something with yeast and serve it as an appetizer is something that seemed impossible to me. Yeast? Seriously? Yes!!

Senfbrot - German Mustard Bread

The recipe for this Senfbrot, or German Mustard Bread, was discovered by my friend David of Hearth Baked Tunes on a German bakers association website, in German of course, and proportioned for commercial bakers.

Mustard and Gruyere Batons

Welcome to Day #4 of Appetizer Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic. With the big football game coming up, we wanted to make sure you had plenty of ideas for your game day spread. Each day we will be dishing up a different set of appetizers. We hope you enjoy this fabulous group of recipes. Tune in each day starting with Monday, January 20 and ending on Saturday, January 25. Lots of great prizes will be up for grabs so you do not want to miss one single day. Follow #AppetizerWeek on Twitter to keep up to date with all our amazing recipes and giveaways!

These Mustard and Gruyere batons are super easy. They are made from frozen puff pastry, and can be assembled and refrigerated a day in advance. Trust me, they are delicious, and very elegant.

Mustard and Gruyere Batons

Makes 10 to 12 batons. Adapted from Ina Garten's Foolproof, which was inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Around my French Table. 

Ingredients

Flour for dusting your working surface

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator

3 T Dijon mustard

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water

3 ounces Gruyere, grated

2 T freshly grated Parmesan

Sea salt

Instructions

1. With a floured rolling pin, roll the unfolded puff pastry sheet out onto a floured board to 11 x 13 inches. 
2. Brush half of the sheet with the mustard, brush the edges with the egg wash, and fold the top over and press the edges together. 
3. Chill in a sheet pan for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Move the pastry back to the board, and cut the pastry into 1 inch by 6 inch strips with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. 
5. Place the batons on a parchment lined baking sheet making sure they are not touching.
6. Brush the egg wash and sprinkle with the Gruyere and Parmesan. Sprinkle with sea salt. 
7. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight. 
8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake the batons for about 18 minutes. 
9. Serve warm (they can be reheated). 

Visit all the other Appetizer Week blogs for more amazing recipes:

• BBQ Flavored Popcorn by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Bacon Wrapped Smokies with Brown Sugar by What's Cooking, Love?
• Mini Chicken Tacos by Clarks Condensed
• Spiced Nuts by My Catholic Kitchen
• Baked Sriracha Bites by Organized Island
• Mini Pita Pizzas by Home Cooking Memories
• Slow Cooker Salsa Pulled Chicken Sliders by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Green Hummus by Mom's Test Kitchen
• Pickled Pepper and Pepperoni Puff Pastry Pizza/Pinwheels by Farm Fresh Feasts
• Baby Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto by Food Lust People Love
• Crispy Baked Green Bean Fries by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Low Carb Monster Fingers by Yours and Mine are Ours