Holiday entertaining made easy

Cinnamon Chocolate Bark

1 11-oz. pkg. white chocolate chips

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted



Melt white and chocolate chips in separate bowls in the microwave. Stir 1-1/2 t. of the cinnamon into melted white chips. Stir remaining cinnamon into semi-sweet chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of chocolate mixtures onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper, alternating colors. Using a knife or spatula, cut through the chocolate mixtures several times for a marbled effect. Sprinkle with almonds. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.



Mexican Fudge

2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 eggs

1 8-oz. jar taco sauce, mild or hot



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cheeses together. Spread 1/2 of cheese mixture into bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch pan. Beat eggs and add taco sauce. Pour egg mixture over first layer of cheese. Spread remaining cheese on top of egg mixture. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into squares.



Rudolph's Cookie Kisses

1 c. softened margarine

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1-2/3 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1 9-oz. bag chocolate kisses

Powdered sugar



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat margarine, sugar and vanilla until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine flour and cocoa. Blend into butter mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Insert chocolate kisses into tablespoons of dough, cover completely and roll into balls. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool and roll in powdered sugar.



Santa's Victorian Candy Canes

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1/2 c. water

1/4 t. cream of tarter

3/4 t. peppermint extract

1 t. red food coloring

Candy thermometer



In large heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix sugar, corn syrup, water and cream of tartar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Place a candy thermometer in mixture and cook without stirring until temperature reaches 265 degrees. Turn off heat and add peppermint extract. Pour half of mixture into another pan. Add red food coloring to one of the pans. Grease three baking sheets while waiting for taffy to cool. Using a buttered spatula, cut off a portion of the clear taffy and portion of the red taffy. Pull and fold pieces repeatedly on one of the baking sheets until glossy. Roll pieces into two 8-inch long coils and twist heads on each to resemble candy canes. Place on baking sheets to cool.



Snow Candy

1 lb. white bark candy

1 lb. salted nuts

2 c. crispy rice cereal



Melt candy in double boiler. Add nuts and cereal. Mix well. Spoon onto waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Appetizers

Bt Ronda Addy



Appetizing Bread

1 lb. whole white bread

1 c. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 c. Romano cheese, grated

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped

1 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. dried red chili peppers



Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place loaf in a large oven-safe serving dish. Cut halfway down loaf to make eight slices. Sprinkle Parmesan and Romano cheeses, garlic, parsley and 1/2 c. olive oil over loaf. Spread chili peppers around base of loaf. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted, not brown. Remove from oven and cover with remaining olive oil. Serve hot.



Cajun Deviled Eggs

6 eggs

2 T. mayonnaise

1 t. Dijon mustard

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper



Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and remove eggs immediately from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and peel eggs when cool. Slice eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks and place in a medium bowl. Set egg whites aside. Mash yolks with a fork while mixing in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and black pepper. Fill hollowed egg whites with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper to taste. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.



Grape Jelly Meatballs

1-1/2 c. chili sauce

1 c. grape jelly

1 to 3 t. Dijon mustard

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 T. fine dry breadcrumbs

1/2 t. salt



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chili sauce, grape jelly and mustard in a slow cooker and stir well. Cook covered on high while preparing meatballs. Combine remaining meatball ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into 30 meatballs. Bake meatballs in oven for 15 to 20 minutes; drain well. Add meatballs to sauce, stir to coat, cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours. Serve hot.



Tortilla Roll-Ups

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. sour cream

1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies

3 T. green onion, chopped

2 T. red bell pepper, finely chopped

12 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

12 (14-oz. package) flour tortillas

1 c. salsa or picante sauce



Combine cream cheese, sour cream, chilies, onion, red pepper and Cheddar cheese in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly. Spread onto tortillas and roll up. Cover tightly and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices when ready to serve. Serve with salsa or picante sauce.

Cherry Torte

1 pkg. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

Cherry pie filling

Whipped cream



Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1/4 c. sugar in a 9x13-inch pan. Beat remaining sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Spread over crumb mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool. Spread pie filling over cream cheese mixture and chill for 24 hours. Spread whipped cream on top just before serving.



Fresh Strawberry Bavarian Dessert

1 envelope gelatin

1/4 c. cold water

1 c. strawberries, mashed

1 c. sugar

2 c. heavy whipped cream

1 t. vanilla

1 c. strawberries, sliced



Soften gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Place over hot water to dissolve. Heat mashed strawberries with sugar until sugar dissolves. Cool slightly and add gelatin; mix well. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Whip cream until stiff. Add vanilla and gently fold into strawberry mixture. Add sliced strawberries. Spoon into a large serving bowl or individual glasses. Chill and serve.



White Chocolate-Ginger Cheesecake

Crust:

13 oz. gingersnap cookies

2 T. sugar

1 t. ground ginger

6-1/2 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled



Filling:

1 lb. white chocolate, finely chopped

32 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 T. vanilla

1 t. ground ginger

2/3 c. crystallized ginger, mince before measure



To make crust, grease a 9-inch springform pan and wrap outside of it with two layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind cookies, sugar and ginger in a food processor. Add butter and blend until moist clumps form. Press onto bottom and sides of the pan. Chill while preparing filling.



To make filling, preheat oven to 300 degrees and position rack in center. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water until chocolate melts. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating until just combined. Add vanilla and ginger. Gradually beat in white chocolate and crystallized ginger.



Transfer filling to prepared crust. Place springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake 1-1/2 hours or until cheesecake puffs and edges crack slightly. Transfer cake to rack and run small knife around edge to loosen it. Cool completely. Chill covered overnight. Release cake from pan, transfer to platter and serve.