Mena eicels cage — aaa ; -minute ly ‘s ( = om appetizers Our eae Pe Fabulous ea eerenat addessert ee tS! is uffin Cake ie en Ss Chocolate Swirl Muffin Cake ct Dy De Cae CCC Seow 1% caps water Tenet Pee dap eee re ee ee eee ee ee DEE eee eo a SS See ey Dee ne DC rr On en nn fer 16 servings RMR ed eeefi Eat == introduction Chocolate, cinnamon, ginger..t's & delicious dilemma, choosing which treats to showease in your holiday a celebrations, Let this year's sea- son shine, with sweet and savory speciatties from our collection of mostequested recipes far festive appetizers, hot and cold party bev- erages, and scrumatious desserts, — Maybe you're planning an el egant evening, where Beef Crostin' with Pesto Mayonngise, 0. 19, and Gorgonzole-and Hazelnut-Stuffed Mushrooms, 9. 12 would bbe perfect for an appetizer buffet. Or perhaps you'r in the mood for an impromptu afternoon of coffee with Deep Dark Mocha Torte . 80, Raspberry Trutfie Cups, p. 77 or another luscious sweet. Whether you're inviting @ crowd for a spirited, pull-oul-the-stops Party or just a few close friencis for quiet conversation, the more nan 70 fatoulous recipes in this issue will helo make your get-to- gethers memorable. And so you can enjoy the merry-makng as much as your family and quests, we've also inclucied lots of make- ahead! ideas and tips for easy entertaining Happy holidays! Quick = Ready in 30 minutes o” less Low Fat = 3g or less, except main dishes with 10g or less. Quick Low Fat Most Requested Recipes™ 424 Welcome the holidays with het ticbits that wil warm hearts and please tum- mies. Choose one, two or afew fora tantalizing buffet! Cold Appetizers Poached salmon, spinach dip and hummus are just a few of the star ingredients in our lineup of do-ahead and quicifix hors oeuvres. ‘Aepsaa0s& Dessans 42 Festive Beverages From sparkling punch to warm spiced cider ana cappuccino cocea, this chapter offers the best of hot and cold dhinks for seasonal celebrations Invite friends to drop in for some holiday cheer, with our relable, easy- on-the-host array of appetizers and a ‘seasonal punch.ON THE COVER 66 Fabulous Desserts {Glockwise from top) What's the best part of any celebra- Genoa Salami tion? Dessert! Choose from 30 make- ‘Stacks, p. 27 ahead pies, tarts, trifles and other Chipotle Devied ote Dew ‘sweet indulgences. Eggs, p. 65 Bie and Chery Pasty Cups, p. Dill Havarti-Shrimp ‘Appetizers, p. 17 Chocolate Trutfe Brownie Cups, p. 88 Bety Crocker Mos: aquesiaa iecpes™ 3the cheese plate 1 The Cheese Plate Holiday appetizer fare doesn’t have to be involved and complicated. Instead, it can be simple and unadorned- ind delicious! Creating a cheese plate or cheese display will simply your holiday menu planning with mouthwatering results, CHEESE ABC'S Specialty shops and! farmers’ markets, in acdition to your local supermarket, are invaluable resources: when shopping for cheese. Stores that offer the largest variely, such as wine shops, gourmet food stores and foad co-ops, may also offer you samples to taste. This is a great way to explore cheeses you aren't familiar wth and taste the differences among cheeses you like, Sample sharp Cheddar andl mile Cheddar, and note the differences. Be sure to ask lots of questions. Cheese experts will be able to answer questions and suggest the right cheeses for your entertaining plans. + Ifyou willbe serving cheese as an appetizer, ‘choose three to five cheeses and pian on 1 to 2 ‘ounces of each cheese per person, 4 watty Crocker Appsivers & Desserts * Remove cheese from the refrigerator no more than 2 hours before guests ative, so the cheese can warm to room temperature, the optimal serving temperature. + Arrange the cheeses however you like, perhaps according to size, color, shane or favor. AS a general rue, frst sample mikier, younger cheeses wilt less complexity, such as Havart, and work your way up to more mature, bolder, heavier ‘cheeses, such as Asiago or Limburger. Or if you iefer, serve a “fight,” samoies of cheeses with something in comman, such as texture or cheeses from the same family, perhaps Cheddar. A flight of soft or semsoft cheeses might include Fentina, ‘Camembert, Havarti and Brie * Display cheeses in large wedges, or whole for softer cheeses such as Brie. Le! guests serve themselves, using an assortment of sharo knives, cheese spreaders and cheese slicers. * Label cheeses for your guests. Be creative by us- ing toothpicks wth flags, inc vidual place cards, ‘ceramic markers or any other type of marker. Knowing which cheeses guests enjoyed most will be helpful for future entertaining, GREAT GO-TOGETHERS Cheese is wonderful by itself, and it's even better when accompanied by foods that cleanse the palate, add texture and taste, and complement the cheese Serve your cheese with ‘Assorted bread cubes or slices (dark breads, rut breads) or assorted crackers Fresh or dried fruits (apples, apricots, cherries, ates, figs, grapes, melon, pears) Vegetables (toasted red bell peppers or raw bell Pepper strips, raw carrots, cooked green beans, olives, marinated vegetable salad) Nuts (roasted or smoked whole almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans) Meats (capicola, chorizo, ham, prosciutto, salami, almost any cured meat)The Cheese Primer Cheese is most commonly mace from cow, sheep or goat milk, but it can also be made ‘from yak, buffalo and camel milk! Even when stored at optimal conditions, all cheeses: continue to ripen. Younger, fresher cheeses will have a shorter life (less than a week) than harder, aged cheeses, which may keep up to 2 months. Cheese can be classified in a variety of ways, but itis loosely grouped into the six main categories below. Fresh or sott ripened cheeses are ether not aged ata for are aged fora vary short time, Those that ere aged may have edible rinds, These cheeses develop more intense flavors as they continue to age. Fresh cheeses clude cream cheese, créme trelche, mascarpone and fresh mozzarella Soltrpened cheeses inclsde Boursin, Brie, ‘Camembert (pictured), fota and queso blanco, o ‘Somisoft chooses are frm enough to sloe but stl sat ‘and creamy, These include Ecam, Fontina (pictured bot tom), baby Gouda, Hava, PortSalut (pictured top) and ‘oaoy Swiss ‘Semihard chooses ae frm in texture but ave not crum- bby, They have more moistue than hard cheeses. They are good siced, and can be grated as well. Semihard cheeses include brick. Cheddar (pictured), Emnental kasseri, Monterey Jack and! provolone, Hard chooses are very fim and crumbly in texture with ‘mote intense flavors. Often eaten aut of hand, many are also shredded and used in recipes. Hard cheeses inciude yzitra, Parmigiano-Reggiano (pictured), Romano and ‘Swiss, a well #s aged Gouda and aged cry Monterey Jack Washed rind cheeses are typicaly soft cheeses tat are ‘292d fra short ine. Dung the rpening process, the cheese 'sivashed weekly wih a quid such as orn, wine or beer. This washing produces a nasty orange rnd thal snot eater) with @ pungent, stong aroma. Allhough the red is robust, tbe 0960 nica usualy crear and mid, Washed rhd choos: es inciude Liriourger, Muenster (icazec), and Taleggi. Blue cheeses have had mold intraduced to them dizing the cheese-making process and as a result have blue ‘green veins that run throughout the cheese, Depending on ‘he aging conditions, blue cheeses can vary rar creamy to fim and from very mid to rabust and strong, Common blues include Dansh blue, Gorgonzola (pictured), Maytag blue, Roquefort and Stilton,not appetizers Welcome the holidays with hot tidbits that will warm hearts and please tummies. Choose one, two or a few for a tantalizing buffet! ‘Camembert with Balsamic Bell Pepper, p. 19 6 Betty Crocker Appoizers & DessonsBrie and Cherry Pastry Cups Prep Time: 30 Mints Startto Finish: 65 Min Servings: 36 1 sheet frozen putt pastry (trom 17.3-0z package). thawed 4 to Ye cup red cherry preserves 4 02 Brie cheese, cut into Yex'é-inch pieces (36 pieces) ‘A cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, F. Spray 36 miniature muttin cups wth cooking spray. Cut pastty into 36 (14-inch) squares, Slightly press each square into mutfin cup; press center with finger 2. Bake 10 minutes. Press center of each with hai wooden spoon, Bake 6 to 8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Immediately press again in center. Fill e + leaspoon preserves. Too with cheese piece, pecans and chives. ch with 3, Bake 3 lo § minutes or unlil cheese is melted. Serve warm ‘Nutthion information Per Serving: {ser ving Calories 6 (Calorie frm Fat. 1g) Cholesterel tom; Sodium mg, Tt Total Fat 4g (Saturated Fat ohare 9 (Ditary [hot appetizers alle Se] eee omc onoy Preeti kage) Pee oR ey preserves. It’s a delicious Poet ei Dea Core ic eer) Rete ued ek As Cee as Ten eo Beacham Tae ae) eee neat Pee oMa Me 375°F just until warm and ec SPECIAL TOUCH Oey Eee et) Scar ana rosemary and cherri eee eee