Warning: The warm, rich, multi-layered flavors of these visually appealing appetizers will tempt you very strongly to eat all 24 of them by yourself in the kitchen and tell your guests that you, uh…dropped the whole tray on the floor! Yeah, that’s it! They’ll believe that! Just make sure you’re not still chewing when you give them the bad news.

Here’s a photo of the Shrimp & Blue Cheese Blossoms with Vidalia Cranberry Marmalade below.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter
3 cups diced Vidalia onions
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 tsp anise seed
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp white pepper
Pinch of salt
4 oz cream cheese, softened
Cooking oil spray
2 oz blue cheese (I use Maytag Blue)
24 wonton wrappers (or 6 egg roll wrappers cut into quarters)
24 medium (41-50 count) cooked shrimp
Minced fresh chives (optional)

PREPARATION:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the onions and the cranberries and cook, stirring regularly, until the onions have softened and colored (about 20 minutes.) Stir in the anise seed, brown sugar, lemon juice, water, pepper, and salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes more, stirring regularly.

While the onions are cooking, crumble the blue cheese in a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Press a wonton wrapper into each cup, folding the corners out like petals. Put about half a teaspoon of cheese mixture into each, add about 1 teaspoon of onion marmalade, and top with a shrimp.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with minced fresh chives, if desired.

Makes 24 appetizers.

Enjoy!

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