12 Treats of Christmas: #4 Individual Oreo Cheesecakes

I look forward to receiving the Kraft Food & Family magazine each quarter. While I don’t find the most gourmet of recipes, I certainly have found many that become regulars in my cooking repertoire. The recipes are always family friendly, low prep time and very easy to accomplish—even with a 10 month old climbing on you.

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Not too many people I know don’t like cheesecake. I thought I didn’t for the longest time. But then I tried it, and I do like it the flavor, but it’s so rich that paying $7 for a slice in a restaurant seems foolish if I can only eat a couple of bites. So that’s what makes this recipe perfect—the cheesecakes are only as big as a cupcake. You still only need a couple of bites, but it probably costs about $7 to make the whole recipe--12 individual cheesecakes.

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You could probably make these cupcake-sized cheesecakes into mini-muffin-sized bites, making sure to adjust your cooking time for the smaller size.

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INDIVIDUAL OREO CHEESECAKES

Muffin liners – I prefer the foil ones for this recipe

3 packages (8 oz each) softened cream cheese (regular OR 1/3 less fat)

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

12 Oreo cookies

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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Place liners in regular-sized muffin tin.
3. Set an Oreo cookie on the bottom of each liner.
4. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
5. Add the eggs, ONE AT A TIME, and mix until just blended after each addition.
6. Spoon over each cookie, dividing the cheese mixture equally among the 12 spots.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the center is almost set.
8. Cool completely, then refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
9. To decorate: drizzle melted Baker’s chocolate, add a mini-oreo, drizzle with raspberry topping…the possibilities are endless.

12 Treats of Christmas: #3 Mini Peanut Blossoms

Peanut Blossom cookies are probably my all-time favorite cookie. And they seem to make quite a few appearances on Christmas cookie plates--but those appearances quickly turn to DISappearances. They are the first to go if offered along side other cookie varieties. Now, while having been my all time favorite for years, I have always been perplexed by how to eat the regular-sized Peanut Blossom cookie. In order to get a taste of chocolate with each bite, one must be very strategic when taking bites. And eating only part of the Hershey's Kiss (which is not a graceful process) can make it dislodge from its base, fall onto the floor...and well, the whole thing is just problematic. You might try to include the entire kiss with your first bite, but then not only is that quite a mouthful, but subsequent bites are much less appealing-- after all the whole point of the cookie is the combination.

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Did you know? Freda Smith from Gibsonburg, Ohio introduced the world to the first peanut butter blossoms in the 1957 Pillsbury Bakeoff contest. I would like to win that contest.

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Anyway, I was delighted to find the "Hershey's Easy Baking" cookbook while at the Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. And while I didn't purchase the cookbook because of this recipe, I was also delighted to find that a recipe within has solved all of my Peanut Blossom problems with the MINI Peanut Blossom cookie. Prior to this recipe, I did not know that mini Hershey's Kisses existed. They do! And they're smaller than regular kisses, but larger than chocolate chips. They're tweens. Maybe these should be called Peanut Blossom Tweens.
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Regardless...here ya go! Perfect combo. Perfect-sized bite.
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MINI PEANUT BLOSSOMS

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional granulated sugar
1 package Hershey's MINI kisses
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat peanut butter and shortening in a large bowl until well-combined.
3. Add both sugars; beat well.
4. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
5. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to peanut butter mixture, beating until well-blended after each addition.
6. Shape into 1/2-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on cookie sheet.
7. Bake 5-6 minutes or until set. Immediately press Mini Kiss into center of each cookie.
8. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Makes about 14 dozen...that's not a typo: FOURTEEN dozen...but each one is only a bite!

12 Treats of Christmas: #2 Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars

Wow! Each year our cleaning lady brings us Christmas cookies and treats on the last cleaning she does before the holiday. Usually when she comes, I can’t wait to get home to see our house all clean, all at the same time. On Treat Day, however, I can’t wait to get home because I know the treats are waiting! Thankfully, she shares the recipes! You, too, will fall in love with this raspberry-y, almond-y, white chocolate-y concoction!

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RAZZ-MA-TAZZ BARS

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 cups ( 12oz pkg.) white chocolate chips - divided

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

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1. Grease and sugar 9" square baking pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Melt butter in a medium-sized microwave safe bowl; stir.

3. Add 1 cup of the white chocolate chips; let stand. Do not stir.

4. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl until foamy.

5. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Note: do NOT skip this step, or even decrease the 5 minutes to 4 or 3. The bars will come out heavier and gooier. I know from experience. While the flavor is not affected, if you follow the directions precisely, the bars taste all the more heavenly!

6. Add the chocolate chip butter mixture to the beaten egg mixture. Stir until combined.

7. Add flour, salt, and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined.

8. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.

9. Bake 15 to 17 min. or until light gold brown around edges. Don't be afraid to wait until golden brown around edges. Each time I have made this recipe, I have had to increase this cooking time anywhere from 2 – 5 minutes. When done, remove to cooling rack.

10. While you’re waiting, toast the almond slices. I use my toaster oven…but you really have to watch and check—I have allowed the almonds to go beyond toast stage on a couple of occasions…and almonds aren’t cheap! You can also use a dry frying pan—toast the almonds over medium heat, stirring frequently, again keeping a close watch. Set aside.

11. Heat jam in small bowl in microwave for 30 seconds; stir.

12. Spread jam over warm crust.

13. Stir remaining white chocolate chips into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam.

14. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

15. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are brown. Cool. Cut into bars.

16. You can easily make a double batch and use a 9x13" pan!

12 Treats of Christmas: Treat #1 Two-Second Turtles

So it's the Christmas season and you've agreed to be part of a cookie exchange. But you have three kids (OK, you really have two kids plus a husband, but who's counting anyway), a dog, a full-time job, and you haven't done any Christmas shopping yet. This shall be your go-to recipe.

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I've seen many variations and various ingredient substitutions, but this EXACT combo is still my favorite. The most difficult part of this recipe is unwrapping each Rolo candy. And these will freeze very well in a Ziplock bag after they have been cooled completely.

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Ingredients

Equal numbers of the following:

Rolos candies (chocolate covered caramel)

Snyder's Butter Snaps (the square shaped grid-looking pretzels)

Pecan Halves

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Decide the number of treats you wish to make and purchase ingredients accordingly. I wouldn't recommend substituting caramel Hershey's kisses--the caramel is runnier than Rolo. Anyway....

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to a very low temperature --200 - 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Lay out as many pretzels as will fit. Place a Rolo on top of each pretzel. Put pan in oven for just a few minutes. You only want to soften...NOT melt. When the Rolo chocolate starts to glisten, remove from oven and press a pecan half into each Rolo. If the Rolo doesn't "give" easily, toss the cookie sheet back into the oven for one or two more minutes. Allow to cool completely.

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Now, try not to eat them all at once!

Harvest Scalloped Potatoes

Are you in charge of bringing the potatoes to Thanksgiving dinner? Are you responsible for making the entire dinner? Either way, why not try the most delicious scalloped potatoes you and your Thanksgiving dinner guests have ever had?

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My very favorite spice store, Penzey’s, displays free recipes throughout their spice shelves that I collect as I browse. This is my all-time-favorite free recipe. As you read the recipe, you’ll soon realize why it is so delicious. Uh…hello: half & half and heavy cream?! Be still my beating heart. Literally. Hmmm….maybe that’s not the best cliché to use here.

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Anyway…looking for comfort food? Look no more.

Scalloped Harvest Potatoes

2 lbs baking potatoes (russet)
2 T butter, divided
2 c half & half
2 c heavy cream
1 tsp Chicken soup base
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp rubbed sage
1/3 c Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
½ tsp salt
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with half tsp butter. In large pot, heat half & half, heavy cream, Chicken Soup Base, garlic powder, onion powder, and sage over medium heat. Warm until the soup base is completely dissolved. Cut potatoes into thin slices – no more than ¼ “ thick. I am the lucky owner of a mandoline, so the slicing part is actually fun! Layer 1/3 potatoes in bottom of pan, sprinkle with half the cheese, salt and pepper. Repeat. Top with last third of potatoes. Pour cream mixture over potatoes until it just reaches the top of the pan. Dot with remaining butter. Bake for 60 minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork and crust begins to form. Serves 8-10.

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Now THAT, of course, is the original recipe. It is divine even without the changes I make. However, here are some additional notes from yours truly:

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1. The recipe should read: 2 lbs of potatoes OR enough potato slices to make three single layers in a 9x13 pan. The amount of potatoes really depends on how thin or thick you make the slices. So I like to have at least 4 medium-to-large sized potatoes on hand and whatever I have left over can become breakfast potatoes or something else.

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2. I always go a little heavier on the Soup Base…like a heaping tablespoon.

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3. I always go heavier on the sage, too…like ½ to 1 teaspoon. I want to taste it!

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4. Extra cheese is a must for me. You’re already using half-n-half AND cream…it’s not like you’re trying to cut fat. I like to sprinkle a light layer of cheese over each layer, so it really ends up being more like 1/3 cup of parmesan PER layer (so about 1 cup total).

BBQ Bacon-Chicken Bites

Counting calories? Vegetarian? Don't read further. You probably didn't make it past the title. But, if you're NOT counting calories--or at least not during parties you host or parties you attend, and if you're NOT afraid of a little chicken and pork dancing a jig in your mouth, then this recipe is for you!

You are well aware of how much I like Penzey's spices. This recipe hails from the Penzey's catalog. In addition to holding the ordering information for all of Penzey's products, the catalog also publishes little gems of recipes...and the following recipe is a gem! The product being highlighted in this recipe is Penzey's BBQ 3000. It is a dry spice combination--it smells like a dry rub you would use before grilling meat. For those of you who don't have access to a Penzey's store and are too lazy to get online and order up some of Penzey's wonderfulness, here is the list of ingredients on the back of the BBQ 3000 jar: salt, paprika, black pepper, nutmeg, mustard, allspice, citric acid, garlic powder, ginger, sage, thyme, white pepper, cinnamon, natural smoke flavoring. I am surprised that there is no mention of cayenne pepper, because there is a little "kick" to the flavor profile.

The assembly is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. Otherwise, these little bites are a super simple appetizer BIG on taste!

BBQ BACON-CHICKEN BITES

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. sliced bacon
2 tablespoons BBQ 3000 (or whatever concoction you come up with on your own)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Wooden toothpicks

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil (to catch drippings).
3. Spray a cooling rack with non-stick spray. Place rack on top of cookie sheet.
4. Cut the chicken breast into small cubes (bite-sized...ONE bite...like 1" or so).
5. Combine the BBQ 3000 and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
6. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. **It's easiest to do this BEFORE separating the pieces.
7. Wrap a bacon slice around each chicken cube and secure with a toothpick.
8. Drop each meat skewer into the spice/sugar mixture and toss gently to coat.
9. Arrange the skewers on the rack and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the topping is browned.


MY NOTES:

• When I first started wrapping the bacon, I could tell my chicken bites were too big. You'll know yours are too big if the 1/3 slice bacon doesn't fit all the way around.
• I had more chicken than bacon, so I cooked some of my cubes without the bacon--they were still very delicious.
• This recipe would also be good with some sort of honey-mustard combination to season (instead of the BBQ 3000).

Now find yourself to a party and bring these to share!

Soup-er Sunday: Cream of Chicken & Potato Soup

This is a "here's-what-I-had, so-here's-what-I-did" recipe. Interestingly enough, after my post about Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, I had a conversation with my mom about the soup that she used to make when we were under the weather. So delicious, so comforting, just the smell of her soup cooking in the house healed us. My mom is kind of a potato freak. So instead of using pasta or noodles, her chicken soup contains potatoes. And so last Thursday, five minutes after I had dropped my little ones off at daycare, my provider summoned me back for poor little Drew, who was shivering uncontrollably. "I cold, Mama!" he kept saying. Not too long after we pulled into the driveway, my sweetie was sporting a nice fever. He hunkered down on the couch, snuggy in hand (and mouth) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the tube. How can you deny a little guy some TV when he's feeling down?! Just few minutes after that...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
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And luckily, the stars had aligned just perfectly in terms of my refrigerator. It contained all the necessary ingredients for a healing chicken soup. There was a left over rotisserie chicken waiting to become stock, as well as some fresh chicken breast that hadn't been marked for anything else yet. And a few potatoes I had purchased at the farmer's market that hadn't seen the oven yet. Now we were cooking--literally and figuratively!
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The finished product on Thursday was lovely--and it was even "BC": Before Cream. My husband asked me, "Did you make this soup from scratch?" On Friday, at home again with sick kiddos, I made a roux, added some Penzey's Chicken Soup Base, some milk and half-n-half, and Thursday's Chicken & Potato soup became Friday's Cream of Chicken & Potato soup!


Here's What I Had & Here's What I Did (THURSDAY):

3 chicken breasts - I seasoned them with S&P, then put them in the crock pot with about an inch or two of water. I also added about 1 - 2 tablespoons of Penzey's Chicken Soup Base. If you can't get your hands on Penzey's, try substituting boullion cubes, or better yet the paste-type of boullion. I turned the crock on high.
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1 leftover rotisserie chicken - I put it in a stock pot to make broth. I also added some baby carrots, onion, garlic cloves, and a couple bay leaves simply because I had them.
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After the rotisserie chicken had simmered for a couple of hours, I strained out all the discard pieces, and added the strained broth and usable meat and carrots to the crockpot chicken.
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At this point, the crockpot chicken was well on its way to being done, also, so I diced up a couple of potatoes, and tossed them into the crockpot, too. When the chicken breast in the crockpot were done cooking, I pulled them out, shredded them, tossed them back in.
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When the potatoes came to a "fork-tender" state of being, it was time to eat!

AND THEN ON FRIDAY...
...the sickness saga continued, so I made a roux: Cook equal parts of butter (3 T) and flour (3 T) in a saucepan over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring--I use a whisk--constantly. You will have a pasty mixture. Gradually add 2 cups of milk, again whisking constantly, until you have a smooth white sauce. More milk = thinner sauce, less = thicker. In this case, thickness doesn't matter a whole lot, because you're adding it to a brothy soup to make it creamy. I also added...wait for it...MORE PENZEY'S SOUP BASE to the roux before I added it to the soup. Because...I am in love with it. And I'm in love with this soup. "BC" was great. "AC" - "After Cream" was even greater! I am my mother's daughter and I can make Cream of Chicken & Potato Soup.