Brie Cherry Pastry Cups

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 cup cherry preserves
• 4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 tablespoons minced chives

Directions

• Unfold puff pastry; cut into 36 squares. Gently press squares onto the bottoms of 36 greased miniature muffin cups.
• Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a 1/2-in.-deep indentation in the center of each. Bake 6-8 minutes longer or until golden brown. With spoon handle, press squares down again.
• Spoon a rounded 1/2 teaspoonful of preserves into each cup. Top with cheese; sprinkle with nuts and chives. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 3 dozen.

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Artichoke Ranch Squares

Ingredients

• 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup ranch salad dressing
• 1 jar (4 ounces) diced pimientos, drained

Directions

• Unroll both tubes of crescent dough and pat into an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; seal seams and perforations. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; spread over crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cut into squares; serve warm. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

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Amaretto Cheese-Filled Apricots

Ingredients

• 1 package (7 ounces) dried pitted Mediterranean apricots
• 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, toasted, divided
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract plus 5 teaspoons orange juice

Directions

• Gently loosen a long side of each apricot, splitting apricots to resemble clamshells. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1/4 cup almonds, cherries and amaretto until blended. Spoon 1-1/4 teaspoons filling into each apricot.
• Place remaining almonds in a small shallow dish; roll exposed cheese portions of apricots in nuts. Yield: about 2 dozen.

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Grilled Corn Dip

Ingredients

• 6 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 Package Cream Cheese
  
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• Tortilla chips

Directions

• Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.
• Cut corn from cobs. In a large skillet, saute the onion and jalapeno in butter for 2-3 minutes or until almost tender. Add corn and garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream and chili powder. Stir in cheese and corn mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with olives and green onions; serve with chips. Yield: 5 cups.

Editor's Note: We recommend wearing disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers. Avoid touching your face.

Nutrition Facts: 1/4 cup (calculated without tortilla chips) equals 175 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 21 mg cholesterol, 164 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

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Cherry Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

• 11 large marshmallows
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 piece (3 ounces) milk chocolate candy bar, chopped
• 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
• 1 graham cracker crust (10 inches)
• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the marshmallows, milk and chocolate. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Cool completely.
• Fold 3/4 cup whipped topping into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Top with pie filling and remaining whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Yield: 8 servings.
  
  Editor's Note: This recipe uses half of a 6-ounce milk chocolate candy bar.

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Caramel Praline Tart

This is from the June 2011 Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 Sheet refrigerated pie pastry
36 caramels
1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
3 1/2 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1) Unroll pastry on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to an 11" flurred tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges.

2) Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5-6 minutes longer until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

3) In a large saucepan, combine caramels and 1/2 cup cream. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted. Stir in pecans. Spread filling evenly in crust. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

4) Cover and refrigerated for 30 minutes or until set. Whip remaining cream; serve with tart.

Yield: 16 Servings

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Upside-Down Apple Cheese Pie

This is from the June 2011 Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar and butter; spread into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Roll out one pastry to fit the pie plate; place over pecan mixture. Trim pastry even with edge of plate.
• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla until blended; spread over pastry. In large bowl, combine the apples, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger and remaining sugar; pour over cheese mixture.
• Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top.
• Bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm. Yield: 6-8 servings.

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Sorbet Napoleons

This is from Martha Stewart Living March 2007

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, for work surface
• 1/2 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17 1/4-ounce package), thawed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pint sorbet (such as lemon), for serving
• Fresh berries, for garnish
• Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Trim edges. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; freeze 10 minutes. Cut out twelve 3-inch squares. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir butter, ginger, and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Score a 1/4-inch border on each pastry. Score a crosshatch pattern within border. Brush each with butter mixture, then sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Bake until crisp and lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

3. Top 4 pastry squares with 1 scoop sorbet. Layer each with another pastry square and scoop of sorbet. Top with remaining pastry squares. Garnish with berries and mint.

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Texas Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I saw this in the Taste of Home Magazine.

1 whole garlic bulb
1 tsp plus 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (I'd cube them)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1) Remove papery outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves). Cut top off of garlic bulb. Brush with 1 tsp oil. Wrap bulb in heavy-duty foil. Bake at 425° for 30-35 minutes or until softened.

2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet over low heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a food processor. Cover and process until blended; set aside.

3) Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes in large bowl. Squeeze softened garlic into bowl; add the butter, sour cream, cheese, milk, salt, pepper and onion. Beat until mashed.

Yields: 6 servings

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