Spherical Snacks by Bob (Cheese-Olive Edition)
Let'sGet Down & Dirty with Cheddar-Cayenne Olive Balls
These bad boys are the bomb at parties! You can customize the cayenne pepper to match your crowd's spice tolerance. But heed this warning: all ingredients need to be at room temperature or else the dough will be an absolute mess.
- Yield: Approximately 70 balls
- Difficulty: Medium
- Total: 45 minutes
- Active: 30 minutes
Ingredients (8):
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 stick (4 oz) butter, divided into 6-8 pieces
- 10-14 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco (or your preferred hot sauce)
- 1 large jar pimento-stuffed Spanish olives, small olives (not extra-large)
Instructions:
- Preheat Oven:
- Crank that oven up to 400°F (200°C).
- Mix the Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, toss all ingredients except for the olives together using your fingers until a dough forms. Yeah, get your hands dirty!
- Knead the Dough:
- Knead the dough until it's one uniform color and texture (some red speckles from the cayenne are okay).
- Dry the Olives:
- Drain the olives and lay several paper towels on a plate. Pour some olives onto the towel-covered plate, cover them with more towels, and gently pat them to dry them up a bit (They don't need to be bone dry, just not sopping wet). Do more of this as needed.
- Form the Balls:
- Pinch off a small amount of dough. You want enough to cover the olive but no more - around 1 1/2 teaspoons per ball. Get the hang of it after a few. Make a depression in the dough with your thumb, pop in the olive, seal it up by wrapping the dough around it, and then roll the ball between your palms until smooth. Place the balls on an ungreased light-colored (ideally insulated) cookie sheet, space them about an inch apart (They won't spread much). You should fill two cookie sheets.
- Bake:
- Bake until they're a beautiful golden brown (around 12-20 minutes depending on the oven and cookie sheets). Keep a close eye on them after the first ten minutes to make sure the bottoms aren't charring. If some start getting too dark, tug them out and let the rest bake until all are done.
- Cool and Enjoy:
- Allow the balls to cool on a wire rack. Once they're cooled, dig in! If you have any leftovers the next day (rare happenings!), pop them in a toaster oven to reheat.
These Cheddar-Cayenne Olive Balls will be the life of the party, offering a spicy, savory, and delicious snack that everyone will love! Just don't say we didn't warn you about the cayenne! 😈🥴🔥
- These Cheddar-Cayenne Olive Balls are categorized under the 'uncategorized' section of recipes.
- The recipe yields approximately 70 balls, making it best suited for large gatherings or parties.
- The dough for the Cheddar-Cayenne Olive Balls requires all ingredients to be at room temperature to prevent an 'absolute mess'.
- The recipe contains ingredients like cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, pimento-stuffed Spanish olives, and extra-sharp cheddar cheese, making it a spicy and flavorful snack option for baking enthusiasts.
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