Saturday, December 24, 2011

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

Okay... maybe I have a few more Christmas posts in me :) Here's one: Pretzel Turtles. I've made these twice this Christmas season. We took the Elders dinner and the kids made these for their dessert. We also made them for a night of cards with friends. They are simple, delicious and the kids can make them (the best part). If you love turtles... try these :)

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

Small Pretzels
Rolo candies
Pecans or M&Ms

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Place small pretzels on a cookie sheet. (Line with foil or parchment for easy clean up) Top each pretzel with a rolo candy. Place in the oven for 3-4 minutes. The rolos will look shiny but still holding their shape. Remove from oven and push a pecan on top of each one. Let firm up for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Recipe Source: TheSistersCafe

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

Don't judge this dish based on the name... because it sounds, to be honest, like a gross combination. It's not! I told Doug I wanted to make this for the party we had last night, he wasn't a believer. After some convincing, he reluctantly agreed. From his first taste, he became a believer. He said that we shouldn't take it to the party but keep it all for ourselves! Alas, we did take it and it was a HUGE hit. It's a sweet fruit salsa, on top of cream cheese, served on crackers or chips... yum! It's better than a cheese ball!

Another recipe... as promised :)

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

12 ounces fresh cranberries
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, light or regular, softened
Crackers, for serving

Directions:
Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped (you can also do this by hand). Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness.
When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie dish. Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.


Recipe Source: MelsKitchenCafe