Appetizers.
CREAM CHEESE PUFFS.
Hannah"s Note: If you"re not going to serve these right away, you can mix up the cream cheese part and refrigerate it until it"s time to spread it on the crackers.
8-ounce package cream cheese (the firm kind, not the
whipped)
2 Tablespoons ( cup) mayonnaise (We used h.e.l.lmann"s1)
3 Tablespoons minced green onion
OR 3 Tablespoons minced dried onion
OR 3 Tablespoons minced shallots
1 beaten egg
A box of salted crackers (We used Ritz Crackers and they were great!) Unwrap the cream cheese and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. Nuke it on HIGH for 30 seconds, or until it begins to soften.
Mix in the mayonnaise and stir until the mixture is smooth.
Mix in the onion. (If you use green onion instead of shallots or dried onion, you can use up to one inch of the stem.) Mix in the beaten egg.
Lay out the crackers on a broiler pan, salt side up. (We used a disposable broiler pan so we could trash it at Granny"s Attic and we wouldn"t have to carry it back to The Cookie Jar.) Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the crackers in a circle that reaches the edges of the crackers. If you don"t cover the crackers completely, they tend to burn under the broiler. Use about 2 teaspoons of cheese mixture per cracker and mound it slightly in the center.
Position the rack approximately three inches below the coil of the broiler and turn it on HIGH. Wait until the coil gets hot and then put in the cheese puffs. Broil the crackers (with the oven door open to the first latch so the broiler doesn"t kick on and off) until the cream cheese puffs up and is just starting to turn golden. This should take about 90 seconds if the rack is correctly positioned. Remove them from the oven immediately.
Let them cool for a minute or two, so your guests won"t burn their tongues. Then transfer the Cream Cheese Puffs to a platter and serve.
Yield: Approximately 2 dozen hot and yummy hors d"oeuvres.
Another Note from Hannah: I haven"t actually tried this, but I"m willing to bet a dozen of my best cookies that you could also add a quarter cup chopped smoked salmon to the cream cheese mixture.
*RAZZLE DAZZLE BAKED BRIE.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack in the middle position.
1 cup salted cashews, finely chopped2 (measure after
chopping)
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons heavy cream (that"s cup)
1 small wheel of Brie with rind all over it (I used a 13-ounce
baby Brie that was approximately 5 inches in diameter.)
to cup seedless raspberry jam (I used Knott"s Berry
Farm)
a basket of a.s.sorted crackers
small appetizer knives and spoons for serving
Chop the salted cashews in a food processor or by hand. The pieces should be no larger than coa.r.s.e grains of sand.
Place the finely chopped cashews in a gla.s.s pie plate sprayed with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. (A flat-bottomed, oven-safe dish with sides will also work just as long as it"s several inches larger than your wheel of Brie.) Whisk the eggs and the heavy cream (that"s whipping cream) together in a small bowl until they"re thoroughly blended. Pour the resulting mixture into a second shallow dish or bowl (or pie plate).
Unwrap your wheel of Brie. Leave the rind on. You need the rind intact so that the cheese will hold its shape.
Dip the bottom of the Brie into the egg and cream mixture. Then pick it up by its sides and set it in the finely chopped cashews. Move it around a little so that the nuts will adhere to the egg and cream mixture.
Lift the Brie and take it back to the dish with the egg and cream mixture. Tip the cheese on its side and roll it in the mixture until the sides are coated with egg and cream.
Carry the Brie to the dish with the finely chopped nuts and roll it around in there so that the nuts adhere to the sides. You can press the nuts on with your hands to make them stick even better. When you"re through, position your Brie in the center of the dish with the chopped cashews, the bottom side down and the top side (without any nuts) up.
Heat the raspberry jam for 5 to 10 seconds in the microwave on HIGH until it"s easily spreadable. Then spoon it on top of the Brie, right in the middle. Use a rubber spatula or a frosting knife to spread it out to the edges.
Use a small spoon or your impeccably clean fingers to scoop up some chopped cashews and sprinkle them on top of the raspberry jam. Put on as many as you like as long as a bit of the red raspberry color shows through.
Leave the rest of the chopped cashews right there in the pie plate or ovenware dish.
Bake your Razzle Dazzle Baked Brie at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is beginning to melt inside.
Hannah"s Note: I"ve also made this with other double and triple cream cheeses and with other flavors of jam. Mother loves it with apricot jam and Andrea is crazy about Brie with peach jam.
Beverages
FAKE ORANGE JULIUS.
3 cups orange juice (you"ll need 6 cups in all)
1 envelope dry Dream Whip (the kind that makes 2 cups)
1 package dry vanilla pudding mix (the kind that makes 2
cups)3
3 more cups orange juice
Pour the 3 cups of orange juice into a blender. Add the envelope of dry Dream Whip and the dry pudding mix. Blend for one minute on LOW and then for another minute on MEDIUM speed.
Pour the mixture in a 2-quart pitcher. Add the remaining 3 cups of orange juice and stir well.
Serve over ice.
Yield: Makes almost 2 quarts.