Smoked Salmon Lollipops

Ingredients

• ½ pound smoked salmon, sliced very thinly*
• ½ cup cream cheese, or Vegan Cream Cheese (see recipe)
• 3 teaspoons red onion, finely chopped, squeezed dry
• 4 teaspoons capers, finely chopped, squeezed dry
• 3 teaspoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon lemon rind, finely grated
• 16 lolipop sticks, find at craft and party shops

Instructions

1. Make the flavored cream cheese: In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese (or Vegan Cream Cheese) with the five flavoring ingredients. Blend well to combine.
2. To make lollipops: Scoop 2 t. portions of the flavored cream cheese onto a wax papered rimmed sheet pan, spacing them so they do not touch - a small ice cream scoop works beautifully. Add a lollipop stick into the center of each and freeze for 15 minutes.
3. Place the smoked salmon on a clean cutting board. Cut the fish into 3" squares. Top each square with a prepared cream cheese dollop with stick onto the the center. Fold up to enclose, pinching the top, until the cream cheese in enclosed. Patch with smoked salmon if needed.
4. Garnish each with three small sprigs of dill, and a few mustard seeds on top of the enclosed salmon lollipops, or top with caviar pearls if you like.
5. Place the finished lollipops on a platter. Cover with damp paper towels until ready to serve. Or, place in wax papered lined container, and cover tightly - will stay fresh for one day.
6. For "open-faced" appetizer - Fill each salmon squares with 2 t. of the flavored cream cheese. Shape the salmon, pinching to enclose the cream cheese to make a pretty round shape. Garnish each with small dill sprigs and your favorite sprouts, such as sunflower sprouts.
7. See Recipe for Karen's Vegan Cream Cheese - a great alternative to dairy cream cheese.

This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of it's author, Karen Sheer