Festive Cranberry Cheese Squares Food

CREAM CHEESE CRANBERRY BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl combine oats, flour, chopped walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until the flour mixture is crumbly, then add the white morsels and stir. Reserve 2 cups of this mixture and set aside for the topping.
• Press the remaining oat mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
• In a separate large bowl, using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until creamy, add sweetened condensed milk, orange juice and vanilla extract and mix well, until smooth and pour over oat mixture.
• In a medium bowl mix together cranberry sauce, and corn starch. Spoon over the cream cheese mixture (don't spread it), and sprinkle the reserved oat mixture top.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or toothpick comes out clean. It should be lightly golden brown on top. If the edges get to dark before it's done baking, you can place some foil around the edges.
• Let cool completely, cut into squares and serve. I like it plain, but, you can always garnish it by adding a scoop of ice cream or cool whip with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Cover and refrigerate any left overs

CRANBERRY CHEESE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of this mixture and press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon juice and spread the mixture evenly over the prepared crust. Empty the can of cranberry sauce into a small bowl and stir in the cornstarch and brown sugar. Spoon over the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle the top with the reserved crust mixture.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until top is golden. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator.

CRACKED CORN AND CHEESE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter. Stir cheese, corn, and scallions into packaged mixed corn muffin batter.
• Pour batter into baking dish and bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.

CRANBERRY CELEBRATION CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely chop dried cranberries. Add flour, almonds and confectioners' sugar; process until blended. Add butter; pulse just until crumbly., Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 in. up sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. , In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir in cranberry juice until smooth. Add berries. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Set aside., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat just until combined. Pour half of batter into crust. Carefully spoon 3/4 cup berry mixture over batter; top with remaining batter., Bake for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 250°. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla; spread over top. Bake 20-30 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Spread remaining berry mixture over the top. Refrigerate overnight., Beat cream until stiff peaks form; fold in ground almonds. Pipe around top edge of cheesecake; sprinkle with sliced almonds.

CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Before beginning, set all ingredients out on the counter to come to room temperature. This is very important because it ensures a creamy cheesecake.
• Cranberry Swirl
• Begin by making the cranberry swirl sauce. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and salt to a medium saucepan.
• Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 25 min., stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have burst and the mixture has gotten thick. (Don't break up the cranberries too much because you want to have nice juicy bursts in the squares. )
• Remove from the heat and let this cool a bit while you make the cheesecake.
• Cheesecake Squares
• Preheat the oven to 325ºF and put a large pot of water on to boil. When it reaches the boiling point, pour it into a casserole dish or oven-safe pot placed on the bottom rack of the oven, filling the casserole dish almost all of the way. (This acts as a makeshift water bath and turns the oven into a "steam room," ensuring that the crust won't crack.)
• To make the crust, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter and brown sugar.
• Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish, and line it with parchment paper so you can easily pull the squares out of the dish when you want to slice and serve.
• Press the graham cracker mixture onto the bottom of the dish and set aside.
• To make the cheesecake filling, add the cream cheese to a bowl and beat with a standing or hand-held mixer for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add the sugar and cream together for about 1 minute.
• Crack the eggs into a separate bowl. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, to the cream cheese, scraping the side of the bowl after each addition.
• Add the sour cream and heavy cream and beat until everything is mixed well. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the dish.
• Spoon tablespoon-sized dollops of the cranberry swirl sauce all over the cheesecake. Using a toothpick or skewer, swirl the sauce all over the pan making a design of your liking.
• Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven.
• Bake for about 1 hour. The cheesecake will be done when the side looks set but the center still jiggles slightly when nudged.
• Turn the oven off and prop the door open a little bit. Allow the cheesecake to cool for an hour in the oven.
• After the hour has passed, allow the cheesecake to cool completely before placing in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.
• When you're ready to serve, pull up on the parchment to remove the sheet of cheesecake. Slice into squares, cleaning the knife between each slice to get a clean cut.

FESTIVE CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE SQUARES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 15 x 10-inch jellyroll pan with no-stick cooking spray.
• BEAT flour, oats, 3/4 cup brown sugar and butter in large bowl until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture; press remaining mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
• BAKE 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth; beat in eggs. Spread over partially baked crust: top with mincemeat.
• COMBINE remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cornstarch in small bowl; stir in cranberry sauce. Spoon over mincemeat. Top with reserved crumb mixture.
• BAKE 40 minutes or until golden. Cool. Chill. Cut into squares.

FESTIVE CRANBERRY CHEESE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat flour, oats, butter, and 3/4 cup brown sugar until crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cvups crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth; stir in lemon juice. Spread over baked crust. In another bowl, combine cranberry sauce, cornstarch and remaining 1 tbs. brown sugar. Spoon over cheese layer. Top with reserved crumb mixture.
• Bake 45 minutes or until golden. cool and cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator.

FLORENTINE SQUARES

Steps:

• Adjust rack to lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-x-15 1/2-x-1/2-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang at each short end.
• Batter: Pour the cream, corn syrup, and sugar into a 1 1/2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir to combine, then add the butter. Stir over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Then raise the heat to medium, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon--especially toward the end of cooking--to prevent scorching. Cook until the mixture reaches 238 degrees F, the soft-ball stage, on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes; the mixture will appear between ivory- and straw-colored. Remove from heat, and stir in almonds.
• Pour the mixture onto the center of the foil-lined baking sheet, and spread it in as thin a layer as possible. A pool about 8 inches in diameter is fine. Bake for 3 minutes; then spread the more liquid mixture evenly over the baking sheet. If the mixture still does not completely cover the baking sheet, bake another minute, then tilt the baking sheet to allow the mixture to spread evenly. Bake for about 5 to 6 minutes total, or until golden but not dark brown. Though the mixture bubbles while baking, the bubbles form more slowly toward the end of baking time than at the beginning.
• Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool for 2 to 3 minutes. While the mixture is still warm but no longer liquid, cut 1 1/2-inch squares using a ruler and a pastry wheel. If the mixture is too warm, it will not cut cleanly. If it is too cool, it will splinter or not cut; in that case return it to the oven for a few seconds to soften it a bit.
• Decoration: When the squares are completely cool, place the chocolate in a bowl over water at about 120 degrees F. When about two-thirds of the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the water. With a dry rubber spatula, stir until the liquid chocolate melts the soft or unmelted chocolate that remains. Fill a small handmade paper cone with the chocolate and snip off the tip. Pipe thin lines of chocolate back and forth over the squares' surface. Refrigerate the squares briefly, just to set the chocolate. Remove from the refrigerator and set aside in a cool, dry place.
• To store, remove squares from the foil and place them in layers, separated by strips of aluminum, in an airtight metal or plastic container in a cool place up to 1 week.

FESTIVE CRANBERRY CHEESE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. In large mixing bowl, beat flour, oats, butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar until crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in Eagle Brand until smooth; stir in lemon juice. Spread over baked crust. In another medium mixing bowl, combine cranberry sauce, cornstarch and remaining 1 Tbps. brown sugar. Spoon over cheese layer. Top with reseved crumb mixture.
• Bake 45 minutes or until golden. Cool and cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator.
• TIP: Cut into large squares. Serve warm and top with ice cream.

FESTIVE GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Put the packages of goat cheese in the freezer to harden slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Spread the dill out on a cutting board to dry for a few minutes. Mix together the cranberries and pistachios on another part of the cutting board.
• Remove the cheese logs from the freezer and take them out of the package. Gently roll one log over the dill, coating it almost completely. Do the same with the second log, rolling it in the cranberries and pistachios. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill until time to serve.
• Serve with crackers.

DEEP-FRIED CHEESE SQUARES

Steps:

• In a heavy 3 to 4-quart saucepan melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, stir in 3/4 cup of the flour and mix well. Add the milk in a stream whisking constantly. Cook over high heat until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Simmer for another 10 minutes on low heat, whisking often.
• Take the pan off the heat and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, using a wooden spoon. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the grated cheese and mix well. Pour into a greased baking dish (8 by 6-inches) and spread into a 1/2-inch thick layer. Use a spatula to smooth the top. Allow to cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight, until firm.
• Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the mixture into 2-inch squares and transfer them to a sheet of waxed paper. Dredge each square into the remaining flour and coat completely. Shake off excess flour and dip into the egg wash, followed by the bread crumbs. Pat the square gently with a spatula to help the crumbs adhere. Repeat with all the squares and place them on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until the coating is firm.
• In a deep fryer or heavy saucepan, heat 2 to 3-inches of oil until it reaches 375 degrees. Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature. Line a baking dish with paper towels and set in the middle of the oven.
• Deep-fry the squares 3 or 4 at a time, turning them with a slotted spoon for about 5 minutes, until golden brown on both sides. As they brown, transfer them to a baking dish in the oven to keep them warm while you deep-fry the rest. Serve at once as a first course or an accompaniment to the drinks.