This is an excellent stuffed mushroom recipe but needs a TWIST: instead of filling with plain cream cheese, use aloutte/rondel flavored cheese spread instead. They have several tasty flavors; I prefer the herb. Use this in place of cream cheese and the mushrooms will have wonderful flavor. I ususally place the cheese spread in the freezer for one hour before stuffing the mushrooms. This way, the mushroom cooks thoroughly without burning the cheese. The italian sausage on top is perfect! Enjoy.

Made these for a NYE party last night. They turned out well and were very tasty. I made a half batch 4 days prior and used a coconut rum. I crushed the vanilla wafers in a ziploc bag and used a rolling pin. I then rolled the dough into individual balls. It was kind of messy and sticky but was not a big deal. I then sprinkled with a generous amount of powdered sugar, put in a sealed container and popped into the fridge to cure. Prior to party, I rolled each ball again in powdered sugar because they were a little bit sticky and then finished off by rolling in chopped nuts. You have to like rum and coconut, which party guests did, so they went over very well. Recipe was not difficult and I would make again.

Made this appetizer last night for NYE party. It was fabulous....everyone loved it and ate every last one. I followed some other reviews and cut the recipe in half. I used individual mini phyllo tart cups (60 total). I prepared the mix prior to the party and upon arriving, I filled the mini tarts, placed on cookie sheet, sprinkled with chopped chives and baked for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Initially I was concerned about the consistency of the mix...it seemed runny, but baking melted everything together and they came out perfectly. Wonderful smokey flavor from the gouda. I am not a great cook and I don't enjoy being in the kitchen: this recipe however was very simple to make and I will definately make again!