Valerie Bertinelli's Seriously Good Sausage Bites

I love Valerie Bertinelli and her cooking show.  I got this recipe and gave it a try.  Let me just warn you, they are very addictive but WOW, they are a great little hors d'oeuvre with a glass of wine and good company.  Not many people would give them a second look at these appetizers because they are far from fancy....but everyone will love them! 

Cooking spray, 10 ounces of bulk hot Italian sausage (I used about large sausages), 3 cups of self-rising flour, 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce, 1 1/4 cups grated Cheddar cheese.

Put the oven to 400 and arrange the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.  Coat 2 baking sheets with the cooking spray.  Cook the sausage in a medium skillet over medium high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked through and no pink remains.  Using a slotted spoon transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Combine flour and butter in food processor or with pie dough cutter (or fingers).  Drizzle in buttermilk and Tabasco and pulse just until dough comes together.  Turn the dough out into a large bowl and fold in the sausage and cheese.  Using two spoons, shape the dough into walnut-size balls and drop onto the baking sheets.

Bake, switching and rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to remove and transfer to a platter.  Bake the remaining sausage bites in the same matter.  Yum!!!!