Ingredients

• 6 ounces stilton blue cheese
• 1 ripe pear
• 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted (see recipe for Toasted Walnuts)
• 8 slices bread (white or dark)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 small shallot, chopped fine (or onion)
• salt and pepper (optional)
• fresh tarragon, chopped fine (or herb of choice)

Instructions

1. Toast the walnuts, then finely chop.

2. Remove the core from the pear and slice thinly. Set aside.

3. In a bowl, combine the crumbled cheese and nuts.

4. Add the butter, tarragon, shallot, optional salt and pepper to this mixture and mix well.

5. Spread the seasoned butter onto 8 slices of bread.

6. Lay thinly sliced pears on four of the bread slices.

7. Cover with the remaining four slices of bread.

8. Wrap each sandwich securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and mixture is set.

9. Unwrap the sandwiches and trim the crusts.

10. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles or squares.

11. Note: To add a little color to the sandwiches, you might like to sprinkle a bit of the herbs on top of each square or trangle.