Holiday Flavors: Party food and appetizers

Today we have the second part of our Holiday Flavors recipes. These are for party food and appetizers. Thanks to all who sent in their recipes this year.

BROWN SUGAR PECANS

Annette Collier

What you need …

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups pecan halves

What you do …

Place butter in Pyrex dish and microwave 1 minute. Add brown sugar and microwave for 1 minute. Add pecans and microwave 2 minutes. Stir to coat, the microwave 2 more minutes.

Pour onto wax paper to cool. Pat with paper towel to absorb excess butter.

What you get …

Makes 2 cups.

WANT S’MORE DIP!

Barbara Akridge

What you need …

10 inch pie pan

12 oz. bag mini Reese’s Cups

3 cups mini marshmallows

Graham crackers

What you do …

Line the pie pan with Reese’s Cups and place in oven to melt, or you can place it on the grill. After it melts, add marshmallows and toast in the oven on broil. Serve immediately with the crackers.

CHEESE GARLIC BISCUITS

Annie Ruth Flanigan

What you need …

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

What you do …

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix Bisquick, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonful onto greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder. Brush over the warm biscuits before removing from baking sheet. Serve warm. Yield: 12 biscuits.

CINNAMON CARAMEL SWIRL BARS

Annie Ruth Flanigan

What you need …

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup salt

1 stick melted butter

1 tbsp. vanilla

14 oz. caramels, unwrapped

What you do …

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Mix brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and pecans into a large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture, mix well. Reserve 1 cup batter. Spread remaining batter into greased, foiled-lined 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until firm. Microwave caramels and milk on high 2-3 minutes or until melted. Cool 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour over baked layer in pan, spreading to edges. Drop reserved cup of batter by spoonfuls over caramel layer. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect. Bake 15-20 minutes longer, or until center is set. Cool and cut into bars.

CHEDDAR BISCUITS WITH CHIVE BUTTER

Annie Ruth Flanigan

Chive butter: What you need …

1/2 tick butter, softened

3 tbsp. minced chives

Biscuits: What you need …

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. soda

6 tbsp. cold butter

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups shredded cheese

1 cup buttermilk

1 beaten egg

What you do …

Mix butter and chives until well blended. To make biscuits, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles oatmeal. Add cheeses and toss to coat, add buttermilk and stir just until mixture is moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and gently knead 6-8 times, just until dough comes together. Roll dough into 9-inch square (1/2 inch thick) with a rolling pin. Cut dough lengthwise into 4 strips. Transfer biscuits to an ungreased 12-by-17-inch baking sheet. Cut the 4 strips crosswise into 6 strips. Brush biscuits with beaten egg. Bake biscuits at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with the chive butter.

CRANBERRY FROSTIES

Annette Collier

What you need …

1 can jellied whole cranberry sauce

2 tbsp lemon juice

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup Cool Whip

1 cup 4X sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup mayonnaise

What you do …

In a bowl, mash cranberry sauce and lemon juice with a fork.

Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place mixture in bottom of lined muffin tins.

Mix other ingredients with mixer. Blend well. Pour into muffin cups. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.

What you get …

Makes 12 servings.

FRITO LAY BRITTLE

Annette Collier

What you need …

1 cup of white Karo syrup

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of crunchy peanut butter

1 bag of Fritos

What you do …

Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass dish with Pam cooking spray. Pour Fritos into dish. Mix syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Mix in peanut butter. Pour over Fritos.

GRAPE SALAD

Annette Collier

What you need …

3-5 lbs of red or green seedless grapes

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp of vanilla

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of toasted pecans

What you do …

Beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla with mixer. Pour over grapes. Pour mixture into trifle bowl. Top with brown sugar and pecans. Refrigerate overnight.

MINI-BISCUITS

Annette Collier

What you need …

8 oz. cream cheese

2 sticks butter

2 cups self-rising flour

What you do …

In a large bowl, mix ingredients with mixer.

Grease hands with butter wrappers. Form mixture into small ball about the size of a nickel.

Put balls on cookie sheet and place in freezer. When hard, transfer balls to freezer bags (about 20 per bag).

About 30 minutes before baking, take from freezer and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER BARS

Annie Ruth Flanigan

What you need …

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 sticks softened butter

2 cups powered sugar

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 cups mini-chocolate chips

What you do …

Mix the semi-sweet chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter and set aside.

Mix the softened butter and crunchy peanut butter together.

Then blend in powdered sugar and mini- chocolate chips.

Add crushed vanilla wafers and mix well.

Press into 9-by-13-inch pan.

Pour the semi-sweet chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter on top and spread.

Optional: Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

PRALINE CONFECTIONS

Annie Ruth Flanigan

What you need …

20-24 graham crackers

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup chopped pecans

What you do …

Line a 15-by-10-inch pan with graham crackers, broken to fit. Bring butter and sugar to a rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. When bubbling stops, add pecans. Spoon over crackers. Bake at 325 degrees for 7-8 minutes, no longer. Cool and break apart.

SALSA-CHEESE APPETIZER

Annette Collier

What you need …

2 cans chili with no beans

8 oz. sour cream

1 jar picante sauce, medium or hot

Chips such as Tostitos or Doritos

What you do …

In a large, rectangular Pyrex dish, place chili, then sour cream, then salsa, then cheese.

Microwave for 7 minutes.

Serve with chips.

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

Annette Collier

What you need …

16 oz. chocolate morsels

1 can condensed milk

1 pkg. colored marshmallows

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup coconut

What you do …

Place morsels and milk in a double boiler and heat. Let morsels dissolve and then cool. Fold in marshmallows. Fold in pecans.

Place coconut on wax paper. Pour chocolate mixture onto coconut. Place rolls in refrigerator overnight. Slice rolls the next day.

What you get …

About 48 stained glass windows.

STRAWBERRY WHIPPED SENSATION

Annette Collier

What you need …

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1 can condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

8 oz. Cool Whip

8 Oreo cookies, finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

What you do …

Line loaf pan with foil.

Mash 2 cups of strawberries in a large bowl. Stir in milk and lemon juice.

Pour into pan. Top with chopped cookies. Freeze for 6 hours.

To serve …

Invert pan onto a plate and remove the foil. Frost with Cool Whip. Top with remaining strawberry slices.