Author Notes: A self-contained treat for a backyard hors d’oeuvre, and these girls love to come out at night. Perfect for a girls’ night in.
I know, I know, Buffalo means Wings and they’re traditionally made with, well, wings. Or drumettes. In either case, chicken. But please, work with me here; for these girls, ground turkey is way more economical and available than ground chicken. Plus, it tends to come in a great blend of both light and dark meat for lots of flavor and good texture. Here, the traditional wing flavors are packed on the inside: bleu cheese, sour cream, Tabasco, crunchy celery. Best of all, missing are those annoying bones, and your fingers aren’t fighting for a grip on that red, slippery skin. —boulangere
Serves: 1 1/2 to 2 dozen miniature size 34a
Ingredients
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1
pound ground turkey, not low fat please
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1/2
cup sour cream
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4
stalks celery, washed, trimmed, fine dice
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4
ounces good bleu cheese, diced
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1
cup Panko, unseasoned
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2
tablespoons , or more, Tabasco because real girls embrace the heat
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2
teaspoons sea or kosher salt
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1
teaspoon pepper
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Bowl of ice water for your scoop
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4
ounces butter, melted
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, mix together turkey, sour cream, celery, bleu cheese, Panko, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. If you like your girls hotter, feel free to up the Tabasco. 2 tablespoons will leave you with a memorable glow. Glove up and use your hands to mix, or use a wooden spoon. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the Panko can adequately hydrate.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter.
- Use whatever size ice cream scoop will best accommodate your girls. I use one that yields 2 or 3 dainty bites each. Dip it in ice water between every couple of scoops. Your girls want to have a perfect, rounded shape. Scoop and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Leave an inch or so between each one so that your girls hold their shape and bake evenly. When all have been scooped, drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes depending on size. Girls should measure 165 degrees at their lovely centers on an instant-read thermometer, and they should be beautifully bronzed. Bleu cheese should be melty and celery crunchy.
- Note: if you wish to prepare and scoop your girls in advance, they can easily be frozen after the scooping step. Instead of leaving space between them, however, snuggle them up side by side. Be kind to your girls and wrap them snugly in plastic before freezing. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then separate the sisters by an inch or so on a baking sheet lined with parchment before baking.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool to a temp that can be handled. Gently, of course. Serve on a platter or in a pointy parchment cone, and dance by the light of the moon.
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