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Blue Cheese Mousse-Filled Endive Spears with Caramelized Pears and Toasted Pecans

This elegant appetizer will impress your holiday party guests as well as satisfy their taste buds with a mixture that's salty, sweet and crunchy.

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Yield: 12 pieces

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Active Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish: 30 minutes

For this recipe you’ll need:

2 tablespoons butter
1 semi-ripe pear, peeled and cut into small dice
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, rough chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup blue cheese, finely crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, rough chopped
12 Belgian endive spears (from 1 to 2 heads)
1/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted

To prepare the pears, heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Sauté the pears and sugar, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rosemary, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
To make the mousse, place the cream cheese in a small mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream until smooth and light. Beat in the heavy cream, followed by the blue cheese. With a spatula, fold in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the mousse to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe a rosette of mousse onto each endive spear.
Place a small spoonful of the pears on top of the mousse, followed by a sprinkling of toasted pecan pieces.