Hot Cheese Olives

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
• 8 ounces (2 cups) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg
• 50 small pimento-stuffed cocktail olives, drained and patted dry

50 hors d'oeuvres

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter until creamy in a large mixing bowl, add the cheese and mix well. Stir in the flour, salt, cayenne and the Worcestershire until smooth. Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons cold water. Add to the dough and mix just until incorporated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the dough and flatten out a piece about the size of a walnut into a thin round. Place an olive on top and shape it around the olive, pinching to repair any breaks. Place it on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and olives. Bake until the dough sets, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

1 hour 15 minutes