Black Olive Penguins

Click on related blog link for more photos of the process. Cut a small triangular wedge out of each carrot slice.

Use a skewer or toothpick to push the narrow end of the carrot triangle through the wide hole of each small olive until it pokes out the narrow pitted hole (this is the beak).

Make a lengthwise slice halfway into each colossal olive. Gently hold the olive open and push as much cream cheese into the opening as you can, filling the olive. Use your fingers or a paper towel to tidy up along the edges of the opening. The cream cheese should create a solid white strip down the length of the olive – this is the chest.

Place a filled olive, large hole side down, on top of a carrot round, lining up the white of the cream cheese with the wedge cut from the carrot round (chest and beak should be lined up). Use a toothpick pushed down through the center to hold the “chest” of the penguin to the “feet”.

Push one head, “beak” side lined up with the “chest” and “feet” down onto the toothpicks. Wrap a strip of the green onion around the neck as a scarf.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.