Pinecone Cheese Ball

Join in the Holiday cooking , Blogger Style Recipe exchange.. see Overwhelmed With Joy for details and join in. There are a bunch of wonderful recipes...

With the parties coming up, This is a good thing to have around, and it's so festive too..

Why don't you throw a party this weekend?

Pine Cone Cheese ball

Ingredients:
8 oz Cream Cheese; Room Temp.
4 oz Blue Cheese, Crumbled
4 oz Cheddar Cheese; Shredded
2 tsp Mustard; Dijon-style
1 tsp Watkins Steak sauce
1/8 tsp Watkins Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Watkins parsley
1 (6-ounce) can whole smoked or unsalted almonds
assorted crackers
assorted dipping vegetables

Instructions:

Place the cream cheese, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, mustard, steak sauce , garlic powder, parsley and salt in a mixer bowl and beat at low speed just until well mixed.Refrigerate the cheese mixture for 30 minutes or until slightly firm, then shape into a ball.Starting at the bottom, press almonds into cheese mixture at slight angles, forming overlapping rows to resemble a pine cone.

Cover loosely, and chill 1 hour. Serve with crackers and vegetables.

Turkey Potpie

This is fun to make and you will be rewarded with the delicious results!

and you can use your left-over turkey for it too...

Crust Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cups cubed 1-inch cooked turkey or chicken
4 ounces (1 cup) cheddar cheese , shredded
1 (16-ounce) package frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1 (16-ounce) can whole potatoes, drained, quartered
1/2 teaspoon Watkins thyme

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon water

Watkins Pepper ( to taste)

Heat oven to 375°F. Stir together 2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl; cut in 2/3 cup butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in enough cold water with fork until flour is just moistened. Divide dough into thirds. Wrap one-third dough in plastic food wrap; set aside. Roll out remaining two-thirds dough on lightly floured surface into 14-inch circle. Gently fit into 2-quart deep-dish casserole. Trim pastry to 1-inch from edge of casserole; set aside. Combine milk and soup in large bowl; mix well. Add all remaining filling ingredients except egg and 1 tablespoon water. Spoon into prepared pie crust. Roll reserved dough on lightly floured surface into 10-inch circle. Cut into 8 (1-inch) strips with sharp knife or pastry wheel. Place 4 strips, 1 inch apart, across filling in casserole. Place remaining 4 strips, 1 inch apart, at right angles to strips already in place; trim strips. Fold trimmed edge of bottom pastry over strips; build up an edge. Crimp or flute edges to seal. Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl; lightly brush crust with egg mixture. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Autumn Harvest Stew / Slow Cooker Thursday

This is for Slow-Cooker Thrsday, Hosted By Sandra at FamilyCorner. Go check out her blog for some other recipes and join in ,if you like.


Ingredients
1 pound boneless pork shoulder
2 cups cubed, peeled sweet potatoes
2 medium parsnips , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 3/4 cups)
2 small cooking apples, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices (1 3/4 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried Watkins thyme , crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried Watkins rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Watkins pepper
2 cups apple cider or apple juice

Directions
Trim fat from meat. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes.

In a 31/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker layer potatoes, parsnip, apples, and onion. Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add meat. Pour apple cider or juice over all.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 31/2 to 4 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Ladle into bowls. Makes 4 servings.

Sweet Potato Pie

This is my Mom's recipe that I posted on My Mommas Cookbook blog last October...

We always had it for the holidays. This year will be no different.Thanks, Mopmma for your wonderful recipe.

Sweet Potato Pie

4 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup softened margarine or butter
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons Watkins vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Watkins ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons Watkins ground cinnamon
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie shells
Beat egg yolks until thick. Gradually add sugar; mix well. Add next 6 ingredients and mix well. Beat room temperature egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into sweet potato mixture. Pour into pie shells and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set.

Honey Almond Biscotti

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon Watkins baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Watkins ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup crushed almonds
powdered sugar, for rolling

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, lemon zest and honey together. Add this to the flour mixture along with the almonds and stir until a stiff dough forms.
4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly sugared work surface and divide it into 4 pieces. Roll each piece with the palms of your hands into a log slightly shorter than the length of your cookie sheet.
5. Place two logs on each cookie sheet, several inches apart (the logs will double in width). Bake for 15 minutes, until the logs feel set or firm to the touch. Set the cookie sheets on racks and let cool. Reset the oven to 300°F.
6. When cool to the touch, place the logs on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice them into 1/2-inch diagonal slices.
7. Lay the biscotti out on the prepared cookie sheets in a single layer and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until they are dry and lightly toasted. Cool completely.
8. Store in an airtight tin or plastic container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Visit the on-line catalog at www.watkinsonline.com/sjackson

Pumpkin Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp Watkins Baking Powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Ginger

1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Nutmeg

1/2 cupbutter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup Watkins Pumpkin Butter

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Brown Sugar Frosting

1/4 cup butter

6 tbsp brown sugar

6 tbsp half-and-half

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla

Cooking Directions
In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

In large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs.

Blend in pumpkin butter. Stir in dry ingredients and milk, blending until batter is smooth.

Stir in chopped walnuts. Spoon batter into paper lined muffin tins. Fill about 2/3 full.

Bake at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes. Makes 16 cupcakes.

Brown Sugar Frosting

In 2 quart liter saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and half-and-half. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Let cool to spreading consistency (5 to 10 minutes).

Frost cupcakes.

Check out the Watkins Catalog ON-Line for all your holiday cooking needs..