Cranberry Pecan Wreath Food

CRANBERRY PECAN CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• To Toast Pecans: Pre-heat oven to 375F. Place chopped pecans on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until aromatic. Remove from oven and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ½ toasted pecans, ½ cup dried cranberries, chive or green onion, and garlic powder until well combined.
• Place mixture in the center of a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and cover completely with wrap while forming it into a ball shape. Place in fridge until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, combine remaining ½ cup pecans, ½ dried cranberries, and 2 tablespoon chives on a flat surface or cutting board. Unwrap the ball and roll in cranberry-pecan mixture.
• Serve with crackers, pita chips, pretzels, carrots or celery.

ORANGE CRANBERRY BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Press into an 8x4-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes., Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine the egg, milk, orange zest and vanilla. Combine sugar and flour; gradually add to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in the cranberries, coconut and pecans. Spread over crust. , Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

PECAN CRANBERRY SPREAD

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed and cream the cream cheese until soft and fluffy.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until flavors blend, at the very least 60 minutes.
• Serve cold with crackers.

CRANBERRY PECAN BAKED BRIE

Steps:

• Put the cheese in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to chill.
• Bring the cranberry juice and brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan and add the cranberries. Turn off the heat and let the cranberries plump for about 10 minutes. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl, add the pecans, honey and cinnamon and mix together.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll one of the sheets of puff pastry thinner with a rolling pin. Place the cheese on the center of the pastry. Top the cheese with the cranberry-nut mixture. Bring the edges of the pastry to the center and press together; brush the edges with the egg wash so they adhere.
• Cut three 1-inch-thick strips from the remaining puff pastry sheet. Cross the first 2 strips on top on the cheese so they intersect in the center like a ribbon wrapping a present. Seal the edges with egg wash. Bring the ends of the third strip of puff pastry up and over to create a bow shape, with the ends hanging down. Place in the center of the cheese and secure with egg wash. Brush the remaining pastry with egg wash.
• Bake until the pastry is light golden brown, tenting it if it begins to brown too much, about 40 minutes. Let rest briefly. Serve with crackers.

CRANBERRY PECAN WREATH

Steps:

• To make dough:.
• Use your bread machine, adding ingredients in the manufacturer suggested order, or, combine ingredients together to form bread dough (it should form a soft, smooth ball) set aside, in a warm draft free place, covered and let rise until double in size.
• To make filling:.
• In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, brown sugar and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is very thick. Once thickened, remove from heat and add pecans.
• To make coffee cake:.
• roll out your bread dough to a rectangular shape (about 26x6 inch rectangle). spread the cranberry sauce over the dough, completely covering the surface to about 1/2 inch from the edges. Beginning at the long end, roll up the dough, and pinch at the seam to seal. Transfer your roll to a greased large baking sheet (I used parchment paper, because some of the cranberry sauce does leak out while cooking and it is really hard to clean off my pan). Form the roll into a wreath, cover, and set aside in a warm, draft free spot, to rise until about double in size (about 45-60 mins). then bake at 350F (180C) for 35-40 mins (I would watch this as it took me closer to 25-30 mins, just watch your bread colour, you don't want it to get too brown or it will be too crusty, a light brown is good). Once baked, set aside to cool and prepare your glaze. Once the coffee cake is cooled, drizzle with glaze and decorate with additional cranberries, pecans, and/or orange slices to make it prettier if desired.

BAKED BRIE WITH CRANBERRY-PECAN-BACON CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lay the bacon in a large skillet, then cook over medium heat until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Drain the bacon on paper towels, let cool, then finely chop.
• Combine the bacon, pecans, cranberries, apricots, rosemary, vinegar, pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl.
• Remove the Brie from its packaging. Cut off the top rind of the round of Brie, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges (use a sharp knife and go in from above at a slight angle). Discard the rind you have removed. Put the Brie in a small baking dish. Top with some of the cranberry-pecan-bacon crumble, and scatter the rest around the Brie. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the cheese is warm and gooey, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Serve with bread, crackers and apple and/or pear slices for dipping.

SPICY PECANS N CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Stir in the pecans. Spread in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Cool completely. Stir in cranberries. Store in an airtight container.