RECIPES & PRESENTATIONS: August 2015

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Cheesecake Cupcakes

Prep Time 20 min
Total Time 3 hr 30 min
Servings 18

Cute little cheesecakes topped with strawberry-flavored rainbow chip frosting. Oh so yummy!

Ingredients

Crust

1 Cup graham cracker crumbs

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake

2 Packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 Cup sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup strawberry fruit spread

1 Cup Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy rainbow chip frosting

Small strawberries, if desired

Directions

1 Heat oven to 325°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups; lightly spray paper cups with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix Crust ingredients. Spoon evenly into muffin cups; press down slightly.
2 In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Spoon filling evenly into muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.
3 Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4 In small bowl, mix fruit spread and frosting; spread over cupcakes. Refrigerate about 2 hours. Garnish each with small strawberry half.

Cheesecake Cupcakes

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Orange Fluff

Ingredients:

1 container 16 oz. small-curd cottage cheese

1 box orange Jell-O

1 can (15 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

1 (8 oz.) tub COOL WHIP, thawed

2 cups mini marshmallows

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Combine container of cottage cheese with the orange jell-o packet. Stir until well mixed.

Add in the well-drained can of mandarin oranges and the tub of Cool Whip. Stir.

Now stir in the marshmallows and pecans. Store in the refrigerator and allow to get nice and cool. If you were to eat it right away, it would taste grainy from the Jell-O. But give it at least a couple of hours and the flavors will really come together and blend nicely. This is definitely a dessert you can make the day before you need it.

Enjoy!

Read more at http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/03/orange-delight.html#sj3OVwE8fY0QchPI.99

Southern Ambrosia

There is a really good way to beat the winter blahs. And it's called.....Ambrosia.

It's a popular southern dish that makes it's way to nearly every get-together (especially in the summertime because it is cool, refreshing and not a very heavy dessert). Basically it's a fruit salad with sweetened coconut. Now I realize folks are on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to coconut, either you love it or you don't. But the sweetened coconut is what makes this. It just isn't Ambrosia without coconut.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) tub of whipped topping, thawed

1 cup sour cream

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, drained well

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin orange segments, drained well

1 cup red or green seedless grapes, sliced in half

1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1 (10 oz.) jar of maraschino cherry halves, drained very well (optional)

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

image: http://assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png

(marshmallows not pictured)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine whipped topping and sour cream.

Add in coconut flakes and marshmallows. Then gently fold in pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes and maraschino cherries and nuts (if using).

Once combined, put some plastic wrap on it or put it in a bowl with a lid and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Cook's Notes: You can easily switch out most of these ingredients for sugar-free options.

This goes really good with angel food cake.

Read more at http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/01/creamy-ambrosia.html#k3sKYDFxkXuFG02e.99

Pistachio Fluff

It has been a whirlwind of a week! I just got back from a fantastic trip to Nashville. I had a lot of fun learning about White Lily flours and Martha White baking mixes. I ate so much! From pimiento cheese and griddle cakes to country ham and fresh biscuits! I ate nearly every hour - seriously. I'll tell you all about it in an upcoming post because I have a new, fun recipe to share that I made while there.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZO_eQRUCVdzaIovv3ZXLwfypCmthmFmfggBK8-o593V7OMMR4PYuyQ3uwkMmAaKfwypMq2nk6KRS4mkGjCk98Mq0tLiGoY-RMiurVw3XlLHMcDwXnI7Ba2M8in3_Iguwk3W87TnrLzHO/s640/Pistachio+Fluff+%2528copyright%252C+www.thecountrycook.net%2529.jpg

Anyhow, I came back and realized there was no food in my fridge. None. My family had come with me on the trip so no one had been home to do the grocery shopping. So, on Monday, amidst doing all the piled up laundry, putting away all of our things and getting caught up on work, I had to go to the store. Yay for me! I didn't make a list like I should have and ended up forgetting half the things I needed. I got the goods to make my Crock Pot Chicken & Gravy and I wanted something super simple to make for dessert. Cause I always gotta have dessert. I decided a simple fluff recipe was in order! I went old school on this one. Pistachio fluff has been around for ages. And it's a recipe I can remember off the top of my head. And hey, it's green! Green desserts are totally fun, right? We used to always just call it the Green Stuff but it also goes by Watergate Salad. So, I thought I would snap a few pictures while making it to be able to share with you this week! If you haven't made this - do it. Do it today!

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDe-7e9ki6FEUgiGiJxNyrl4E4NesWNs63735bW1KV4yPjxztiSAnpmS13GFT7WqnaQzWjHNBtYiWMeXfhOY8aDJNQ24NpwbZmv1rp29zP8NhDKUNq5qn20vvV5gJUCTCK-mAbOM_KTbL5/s640/Pistachio+Fluff+graphics+%2528copyright%252Cwww.thecountrycook.net%2529.jpg

Ingredients:
1 (3.5 oz.) instant pistachio pudding mix
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped nuts (your choice, optional)
1 (8 oz.) tub whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed

image: http://assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHqnnFzKHhChb2LB3g3-uYUdElg3djbAxT8rHqBrD2GcZFjm3Cy4zt0qYgzxYcYBUB4FgxbDKKqESfJoeRGqio-Lg-lpgSiGIf74UXWFFI_KU3xit1y2HaKg2nU05qqZkreKeR67f2mDH/s640/IMG_9873.JPG