Good Christmas Cookin'

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the good recipes. I have about a million this year. We are not much on eating sweets (getting worse though) but I do have some good party recipes and desserts to make. I thought I would share some of them. Hope you try and like them.

Pesto and Cream Cheese Appetizer- One block of cream cheese (8 oz) and a jar of Classico Pesto (there is only one brand that makes it, I believe and they don't sell it everywhere. I get mine at Target in the pasta section). You slice the block of cream cheese in half horizontally. Spread some of the pesto (a good amount) all over the half block and then place the other half on top and do the same with that piece. Serve with your favorite snack crackers. My sister-in-law made this last Christmas and it was practically to die for. I am making it this weekend for the Christmas party.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp red food coloring
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
2. In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
4. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
5. To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.
7. Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.

This is just 2 that I decided to share, but I have so many more. I am so excited to have my own kitchen to cook in now. Yay!! If you make either one of these, be sure to let me know how they turn out.