Pinecone Cheeseball:
1-1/4 cup whole almonds
1 Pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.), softened
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
5 bacon slices - crisply cooked and crumbled
1 Tablespoon. chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cooking Directions:
Spread almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan. Bake
at 300 degrees (F.) for 15 minutes, stirring often, until almonds just begin to
turn color.
Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise, mixing well. Add the
bacon, onion, dill and pepper. Mix well. Cover and chill overnight.
Form mixture into shapes of two pinecones on a serving
platter. Beginning at the narrow edge (or point), arrange almonds at a slight
angle into the cheese mixture, pressing gently in rows. Continue overlapping
the rows until all the cheese is covered.
Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary. Serve with
crackers or toasted baguette slices. Makes 1 ½ cups
NOW, here's the fun part , you can change out the ingredients to your liking. Keep the cream cheese as a base, add mayo or even sour cream or greek yogurt, then play with the rest. Here are some ideas:
*shredded cheddar, dry ranch dressing mix (half packet)red onions, minced
*chopped ham instead of bacon
*just dried dill weed and minced sweet onions
Chill before serving, 8-24 hrs is best. The flavors will have a chance to mingle.
NOW FOR A FUN PLACE MARKER AND/OR DESSERT!
Turkey Cookie Pops
Ingredients:
12 cream filled vanilla cookies such as vanilla Oreo’s
12 Nutter Butter bite size cookies
12 lollipop sticks
1 bag of candy corn
24 small (approx. 3/8 in.) candy eyeballs (found in
cupcake decorations isle at craft store)
1 tube of pre-made red icing (not gel)
12 pre-cut lengths
of ribbon to match (approx. 6-8 in. each)
Optional:
12 blank placecards
Single Paper hole punch
Assembly Directions: Open two vanilla cream cookies, save each half that has the most cream.
Put them together..
Place the now "double stuff" cream filled cookie on a flat surface.
Gently
insert a lollipop stick into the cream between the pieces until will stay in
place. Press gently to adhere.
At the opposite side of the cookie, insert
individual pieces of candy corn, pointed side in first, to resemble tail
feathers.
(side note= these nutter butter bites can also be used in an edible acorn treat as seen on another of my recent blog posts..check it out)
(side note= these nutter butter bites can also be used in an edible acorn treat as seen on another of my recent blog posts..check it out)
Carefully separate one side from a bite size nutter
butter cookie, so that all or most of the cream is on one side. Use this piece,
and cream side down, press gently but firmly to middle of vanilla oreo.
Make sure the lollipop stick is facing down and onto the
nutter butter cookie, press two candy eyes with a tiny dab of red icing
underneath to glue it in place. The red should not show. I apologize for not having a picture of the candle eyeballs.
They are usually found with candy and cupcake decorations in your local craft store. Apparently, SOMEONE took them all and I had to make my own, from gum paste and dot them with an edible marker pen. So...use your imagination and creativity if there's a sudden rush on candy eyeballs and you arrive too late.
Underneath the eyes,
in the beak area, make a small oval horizontal shape with red icing, and press
part of one candy corn (the smallest tip and part of the middle),onto the right
side of the red icing. The red will show on the left side, making the turkey’s
“wattle”. Make sure the tip is pointing down for the beak.
Repeat with the remaining 11. Let the cookies set on a
flat surface so everything stays in place. When they are ready, carefully tie
the ribbon around the stick into a bow, and push toward the cookie.
You may use these as placemarkers, and to do so, write
the guests names on each card first, then punch two single holes at middle of
top and bottom and insert onto lollipop stick. Lay the cookie on top of the
folded napkin to mark the places. OR to make them stand up with even more visual POW...carefully push lollipop stick into a small apple, being sure that it will sit level and not tip over. Tipped over turkeys are sad turkeys.
I'm thinking: for next year, just to mix it up a bit..I'm going to make these "blonde" turkeys but also make some out of regular chocolate oreos and use the "indian corn" candy corn with darker colors. More fun to have some variety in your flock! Actually is it a flock? I know a bunch of geese is a "gaggle"..now I have to go look that up...
Making your life a little sweeter,
Liz
the Party Hostess Diva
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