Cranberry Cheesecake Squares

Crust

1/2

cup sugar

1/2

cup butter, softened

1 1/4

cups all-purpose flour

Filling

1

(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2

cup sugar

1/2

teaspoon vanilla extract

1

egg

Topping

4 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and butter; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour; mix until crumbly. Press mixture in bottom of sprayed pan.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine all filling ingredients; beat well.
4. Remove pan from oven; pour filling over partially baked crust. In small bowl, stir 2 tablespoons of the cranberry saucecr until softened. Spoon over cream cheese mixture. With tip of spoon, carefully swirl jam into top of cream cheese mixture. (Do not disturb crust.)
5. Return pan to oven; bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 30 minutes.
6. Stir remaining jam; spread evenly over bars. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Cranberry-White Chocolate Trifle

I love cranberries. OK I love chocolate too. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Tis the season for cranberries and indulgent desserts. Right? I found this recipe in Taste of Home Magazine. Can't wait to try it. Triffles are so good, mixing whipped cream, fruit and cake. With the layers, you get all the ingriends in each bite. Yum. Enjoy.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2-2/3 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

5 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce

1/3 cup raspberry liqueur

1 loaf (10-3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed and cut into 1/2-in. cubes

TOPPING

1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; stir in white chocolate and vanilla. Cool to room temperature without stirring.

In a small bowl, whisk cranberry sauce and raspberry liqueur until smooth.

Place half of the cake cubes in a 3-qt. trifle bowl or glass bowl. Spread with half of the cranberry mixture; top with half of the custard. Repeat layers. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe over top. Yield: 14 servings (3/4 cup each).

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I'm not usually a fan of pumpkin, and well the cuermogeon is allergic, but tis the season. I may try this out at the next pot luck of food at at work.

Lets face it  the Thanksgiving dessert is always pecan pie.


Ingredients

Bread Pudding:
1 loaf French bread, torn in pieces
1 quart 40 percent whipping cream
1 dozen eggs
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
2 ounces vanilla extract
4 ounces pumpkin pie spice
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin



Rum Sauce:

4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 quart whipping cream
2 cups granulated sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup dark rum

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the bread pudding: Blend all the ingredients together, except the French bread, until mixed well. Place the French bread in a 1-gallon aluminum pan. Pour the mixture over the French bread and let sit for 30 minutes. Bake for 1 hour or until firm.

For the rum sauce: Blend the cornstarch with the water. Mix all the ingredients together and cook over low heat until thick.

Serve the sauce with the bread pudding.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Chocolate Overoad!

My dear Mother made this for my birthday a few times. Let me telll you this cake is so rich. It's my "Chocolate to die for" cake.
Chocolate between Mother and Daughter is such a special thing.  (Ok  Mom never served cake with fruit.)
This is a chocolate sour cream cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Be sure the cream cheese comes to room temp. before using. Triing to beat cold from the frig cream cheese is quite difficult.

Cream cheese chocolate frosting


1/4 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted
dash of salt
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake   1 cup baking cocoa
1 cup boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

Yummy Mummy Cupcakes

Halloween is coming! Halloween is coming! Of course it is a day or evening of dressing up and eating lots of treats with a goulish theme. We at work will of course has snack day and a costome contest.

So I found this cute recipe at Kraft.. I'll let you know how they turn out.


What You Need

1pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
14 OREO Cookies, coarsely chopped
1pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1cup milk
1/4cup powdered sugar
2cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
48 semi-sweet chocolate chips, for eyes

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.


PREPARE cake batter as directed on package; stir in cookies. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

BEAT pudding mix, milk and sugar in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with basket-weave tip.

PIPE pudding mixture onto tops of cupcakes. Add chocolate chips for the eyes. Keep refrigerated.

Kraft Kitchens TipsMake AheadDecorated cupcakes can be stored in refrigerator up to 8 hours before serving. If You Don't Have a Piping BagFill a resealable plastic food storage bag with pudding mixture; seal bag. Cut corner off bottom of bag, then squeeze pudding mixture from bag onto cupcakes.

Cherry Pops

Follow up to apple dumplings: Well I didn't have any apples or mountain dew, but I did have cola and cherries, so I came up with this. So far test results are very favorable.


Ingredients

1 can cherries
5 oz cola
1 can crescent rolls
3 oz chocolate frosting, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 tbl milk
3 tbl brown sugar

Directions

Pour the cherries into a strainer over a bowl. Pour the cola over the cherries. Let drain. Pour the cherries into the cola syrup mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Open the can of rolls, sprinkle with a little of the powdered sugar. Brush one side of each with the chocolate. Add 3 or 4 cherries. Fold over, and pinch the seams together to close.

Place them into a greased cake pan. When they are all arranged, sprinkle the brown sugar and the rest of the cherries, and then pour ½ cup of the cola cherry syrup over them.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Make a light icing with powdered sugar and a little milk. Drizzle over the top.


Tip: Try putting the crescent roll dough in a dish over a bowl of ice to keep the dough really cold. As the dough warms it gets sticky and soft. Therefore making harder to work with.

Rosemary-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Teaspoon rosemary
12 skinless chicken thighs
3 Cups cauliflower florets
3 Cups broccoli florets
2 small red bell peppers

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Cut red bell peppers into 6 pieces each (12 total).

2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and rosemary. Add chicken pieces and vegetables. Toss until well coated.

3. Arrange chicken pieces on a jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet. Place vegetables in a single layer around the chicken.

4. Roast for 20 minutes, flip vegetables over with a spatula, and continue roasting another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and browned.

5. Serve with pan juices.

From Atlins.com

Apple Dumplings.

Ah, Fall in the Midwest. Don't just love Fall? There is a nip in the air, and the leaves are all changing colors. The sky is a brilliant blue, and the smell of baking fills our homes.

 Makes me want to try my hand at apple dumplings. I got this recipe from a friend at the J.O.B.  She makes these when we have potlucks. 

Every time we have a pot luck, this dish is requested, wrong word, it is actually required.. Poor D. She is only allowed to bring Apple Dumplings and Beer Bread.  It has become the running joke. She has suggested she might bring something else, but people act so whiny.  One would think there would be a revolt if she didn't bring these. So she acquiesces and brings the faves.   In fact she gets requests for the apple dumplings even when we are not having a pot luck.  I bet this would also be good with a little vanilla ice cream.

 Ingredients

large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew ™

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.


2.Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.

3.Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings.

4.Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown

Seven Layer Dip

Here is a wonderful game day treat.

16 ounces refried beans

1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup guacamole
1 cup salsa
1 cup lettuce
1 cup Mexican blend cheese
4 ounces sliced olives
1 cup tomato

Directions:  Mix the taco seasoning into the beans. Layer in this order:  refried beans, then  sour cream,  guacamole, salsa, lettuce, mexican cheese, sliced olives and tomatoes.

Southwest Chicken

I love Mexican food, and I like chicken. So, here is another twist from Weight Watchers. The recipe looks really good, but I am going to add more veggies.  in the form of onions, garlic and bell peppers. With the additional veggies you could have 1 1/2 cups as a serving size.

1 lb. (4 cups) shredded rotisserie chicken breast meat, skin and bones removed
4 cups jarred salsa verde
2 cups frozen green beans, thawed and chopped
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
16 (6-inch) corn tortillas
8 oz shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1.Mix the chicken, 3 cups salsa verde, green beans and black beans in a large bowl.

2.Shred or thinly slice the tortillas into 1/2-inch wide strips. Sprinkle a third of these strips into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with half the chicken mixture, spreading it evenly over the baking dish. Sprinkle half the remaining tortilla strips evenly over the chicken, then smooth the rest of the chicken mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the rest of the tortilla strips evenly on top, then smooth the remaining 1 cup salsa verde over the casserole, and finally add the cheese, again evenly across the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. The casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or frozen for up to 4 months.

3.Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4.Bake the casserole, covered, 20 minutes if refrigerated, 30 minutes if frozen. Uncover and continue baking until bubbling and browned, 30 more minutes if refrigerated, 40 more minutes (or a bit longer) if frozen. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then divide into 8 servings.


Serving size: 1 1/3 cups.

from weightwatchers.com Makes 8 servings
POINTS® value
4 per servingIngredients

Recipe for Lemon Pudding with Raspberries and Meringue Cigars from Epicurious.com

Meringue cigars:

4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted pistachios (preferably not roasted), finely chopped

Lemon pudding:
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 pound raspberries, trimmed and halved, or quartered if large

Special equipment: 2 large baking sheets; parchment paper; a stand mixer or a powerful handheld electric mixer; a pastry bag fitted with a plain, round 1/2-inch tip (we used Wilton 1A)

For meringue cigars: Heat oven to 200°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a pencil to mark parchment with parallel lines 5 inches apart; these lines will be your guides when piping. Turn paper over.
Beat whites with salt in stand mixer at high speed (or in a large bowl with handheld mixer) until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating, and continue to beat at high speed until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Secure paper to baking sheets with dabs of meringue.
Spoon some meringue into pastry bag and pipe 5-inch-long cigars (3/4 to 1 inch wide) onto 1 baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Add more meringue to pastry bag and pipe more cigars in same manner on other baking sheet.
Sprinkle cigars generously with pistachios.
Bake cigars in oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp but still white, about 2 hours.
Turn off oven and cool meringue cigars in oven 1 hour, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Make lemon pudding while meringue cigars are baking: Set a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl.
Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until butter melts, curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk, and first bubble appears on surface, 6 to 9 minutes.
Immediately force lemon curd through sieve into bowl and chill curd, its surface covered with a round of wax paper, until cold, at least 1 hour.
Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in another bowl with cleaned beaters until mixture just holds soft peaks. Fold one third of whipped cream into lemon curd to lighten, then fold in remaining cream. Divide among individual bowls and chill, covered, if not using right away.
Top with raspberries and serve with meringue cigars.



Cooks' notes:
•Meringue cigars can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in layers, separated by wax paper, in an airtight container.
•Curd can be chilled up to 1 week.



Photo by Gourmet Live
April 2012
by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

Want to see how other cooks rated and reviewed this recipe? Go to http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Pudding-with-Strawberries-and-Meringue-Cigars-395394?mbid=ipapp

Stuffed Tomatoes

What you need

1/2 lbs turkey breast, shredded

1/3 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise

1 stalk celery, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)

¼ cup chopped almonds

2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion

2 Tbsp chopped bacon

 Grated peel and juice from 1/2 of a medium lemon

4 medium tomatoes

 PREMIUM Unsalted Tops Saltine Crackers

 parsley

Make it

MIX turkey, mayo, celery, onion, almonds, bacon, lemon peel and juice.

CUT each tomato into wedges, cutting down to within 1/2 inch of bottom. (Do not cut all the way through tomato.)

SPOON tuna mixture into tomatoes. sprinkle with parsley and Serve with crackers

Butterscotch Pudding

Well the curmudgeon broke a tooth this weekend. He needed something smooth this evening. So we made soup and pudding. I found a really good recipe for butterscotch. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 3/8 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions

1. In a 1 quart saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium-low heat and stir in eggs and milk. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in vanilla and butter. Let cool briefly and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving. 

By: KITTYANN 

"This recipe is good as pudding or as pie filling!"

Pizza Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound spiral macaroni, cooked and drained
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced and seeded
• 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 1 to 2 bunches green onions, sliced
• 3 ounces sliced pepperoni
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 1/2 diced green bell peppers
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup tomato ranch dressing*
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Croutons, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine macaroni, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, green onions, peppers, ham  and pepperoni. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 tomato sauce, 3/4 cup ranch dressing and Parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Pour over macaroni mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Top with croutons just before serving if desired.

Mexican Biscuit Casserole/Midwest Living

This looked so good when i saw it. Of course i had to add a twist with the tomatoes and green chilies.

ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 1 1/4 - ounce package taco-seasoning mix
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 16 - ounce can kidney beans
• 1 11 - ounce can whole-kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained
• 3 1/4 cups packaged biscuit mix
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (12 ounces)

directions

1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef until brown. Drain off fat.
2. Add taco-seasoning mix according to package directions, except use the 3/4 cup water. Add the undrained kidney beans and the drained corn; bring to boiling.
3. Meanwhile, combine the biscuit mix and milk. Stir until all is moistened. Beat for 30 seconds more.
4. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, making 10 biscuits.
5. Spoon hot meat mixture into a 13x9x2-inch (3-quart rectangular) baking dish and top with some of the cheese.
6. Immediately place biscuits on top and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until biscuits are done. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.