Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies

Photo: Wilton

This week's Tailgate Treat will have you firing up the mixer.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)

• 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened (full-fat is best)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• Sprinkles, optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer and cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light in color and fluffy.

• Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

• Add flour, nutmeg, and salt and stir until all ingredients are combined.

• Using a cookie press, press the cookies out onto (unlined) baking sheets about an inch apart from each other. If desired, sprinkle with colored decorator's sugar.

• Bake for 15 minutes -- they will still be light in color when baked.

Thanks to my mom for this recipe. It’s our holiday favorite.

Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp

Asking for a friend - does an apple a day (even if it’s covered in sugar) keep the doctor away?

Ingredients

• 6 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)

• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then transfer to the prepared baking dish.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter). Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until the mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.

4. Spread topping over apples in a baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

5. Serve warm and enjoy (maybe even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream…)

There are so many great recipes out there but this one from The Chunky Chef is a winner.

Cookiedilla

Photo: cookingtv-channel.co

So good everyone will want a bite, but do you really want to share?

Ingredients

• I package of prepared cookie dough (for gluten free version - make sure you use gluten free cookie dough. We’re obsessed with Immaculate’s Double Chocolate Chip and Sweet Loren’s) sugar cookie).

• 1/2 c marshmallow creme

• 1/2 c chocolate syrup

• Other options include a caramel drizzle or melting chocolate chips (see last step when returning to oven) in place of the chocolate syrup.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

• Divide cookie dough into 2 balls. Flatten into large disks and place one on each prepared baking sheet. 

• Bake until golden and cooked through, 15–20 minutes. (You don’t want an underbaked center). Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

• Spread marshmallow cream on the bottom of one cookie and cookies and chocolate syrup (or chocolate chips) on the bottom of the other cookie. Carefully sandwich them together on a baking sheet. 

• Return to oven for 3–4 minutes more, until warmed through. Serve cold or keep warm on the blech or hot plate until ready to slice and serve.

4-Ingredient Creamy Popsicles

Photo: Half Baked Harvest

Poolside popsicles are calling your name this weekend. This week's Tailgate Treat is four-ingredient popsicles that are quick and simple.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup fruit jam (I use blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, and mango peach)

• 1/4 cup whole milk or canned coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, fruit jam, milk, and vanilla. Add additional milk, if needed to thin the mix if it feels too creamy.

2. Evenly divide the mix between 6-8 Dixie cups or popsicle molds. (The recipe recommends Dixie cups over molds as the pops can be hard to remove from molds). Insert popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight. To make layered popsicles, pour 2-3 flavors into each mold. Keep in the freezer until ready to eat!

Thank you Half Baked Harvest for this recipe. Make sure you go check out the original recipe which includes tips and tricks as well as so many stellar other dishes to try. We LOVE her recipes so do yourself a favor and check them out.

Magic Cookie Bars

This was my mom’s secret recipe, which, come to find out wasn’t so secret. Whether you call them magic cookie bars or seven-layer bars, they’re so darn good.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Brown sugar, lightly packed

• 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup Coconut, sweetened

• 3/4 cup Chopped pecans or walnuts

• 2 cups Graham cracker crumbs (use gluten-free Graham crackers to make this gluten-free)

• 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted

• 1 - Can of sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan.

3. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumb mixture.

4. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

5. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

6. Cut into bars or triangles. Store covered at room temperature.

The Ultimate Cheese Plate

The best of the best all in one place.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 kinds of cheese (at least one soft)

• Dark chocolate

• Olives

• Marcona almonds or nuts

• Some type of fruit- even just a touch of berries- blueberries or raspberries across the plate looks beautiful 

• Marinated peppers (usually by the olives at the grocery store)

• Mini pickles 

• Some type of salami meat or prosciutto (check out Instagram for inspiration on making salami flowers)

• Your favorite carb: crackers (grab gluten free to make this gluten free), baguette, toast points

1. Start with a really cool base - cutting board, plate or a baking sheet in whatever shape you’d like.

2. Position your cheese first, then your meats.

3. Use your crackers/baguette to fill in the holes

4. Sprinkle in the nuts, fruit and chocolate to finish it off

Other considerations to include:

• Mini pumpkins for fall

• For kids: use fruit, veggies, popcorn, goldfish or granola. Or give them each a theme with a veggie, fruit, meat and cheese and let them create their own.

• Dessert board: think brownies, cookies, fruit, candy

We gathered suggestions near and far on what to include in your cheese plate. Might we suggest following Cheese by the Numbers, That Cheese Plate or Kate’s Cheese Shop on Instagram for continued inspiration?

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Is there any better combination than chocolate, peanut butter and sugar? Nope.

Ingredients

Sift together:

• 1 3/4 cups of flour (see below for a gluten free option)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

Cream together:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/3 cups peanut butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Add:

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla, beat well

1. Blend in dry ingredients gradually. Mix thoroughly.

2. Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoon for each.

3. Roll balls into white sugar and place them on greased cooking sheets.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 mins.

5. Top each cookie with a Hershey Kiss, pressing down firmly.

6. Return to oven for 2-5 mins.

Thanks to our mom for this recipe. If you can believe, it’s almost 50 years old as she received it from a friend back in 1972. It’s a mainstay in our household for the holidays and may your family enjoy it as much as we have.

PS: We have made these with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and they’re fantastic.