News Years Eve-Mulled Pomegranate and Red Wine Punch

Ingredients

1 qt. pomegranate juice

1 bottle (750 ml.) fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel

2 cinnamon sticks (each 2 1/2 in. long)

6 cardamom pods

1/4 cup honey

Preparation

Stir all ingredients together in a 4- to 6-qt. slow-cooker; cover. Cook until very hot, about 1 hour on high or 2 hours on low; once hot, keep warm on low heat up to 4 hours. serve and enjoy, Happy New Year's! 

Cranberry Filled White Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

FILLING

1 (12-oz.) jar cherry preserves

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 1/2 cups fresh cranberries*

BUTTERCREAM

1 cup butter, softened

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 (32-oz.) package powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 Tbsp. milk (optional)

Preparation

1. Prepare Filling: Bring first 3 ingredients and 3 cups cranberries to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop. Transfer 1 cup cranberry mixture to a small bowl, and stir in remaining 1/2 cup whole cranberries. (This will be the Cranberry Topping.) Transfer remaining hot Cranberry Filling mixture to another small bowl. Cool both mixtures completely (1 hour). Cover; chill 8 hours.
2. Prepare Buttercream: Beat butter and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with orange juice. Beat at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Stir in vanilla. If desired, add 1 to 2 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. at a time, beating until frosting reaches desired consistency.
3. Place 1 Basic White Cake layer on a serving platter. Spoon 1 1/2 cups buttercream into a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe a ring of frosting around cake layer just inside the top edge. Spread cake layer with half of chilled Cranberry Filling (without whole berries), spreading to edge of piped frosting. Top with second cake layer. Repeat procedure with frosting and remaining Cranberry Filling (without whole berries). Top with third layer. Spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of cake. Pipe a ring of frosting around top cake layer just inside the top edge. Spread Cranberry Topping (with whole berries) over top cake layer, spreading to edge of piped frosting. Serve for the holidays and Enjoy!

Holiday Ham with Apricot Glaze

Ingredients

1 (7- to 8-lb.) fully cooked, bone-in spiral-cut ham half

Vegetable cooking spray

1 (18-oz.) jar apricot preserves

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place ham, cut side down, on a lightly greased (with cooking spray) rack in a heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined broiler pan; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Stir together preserves and next 3 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and reserve 1 1/2 cups. Brush remaining glaze over ham.
3. Bake at 325°, uncovered, on lowest oven rack 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 140°, basting every 30 minutes with reserved 1 1/2 cups glaze. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Carve your favorite sized portion and enjoy!

Holiday Green Olive Cheese Puffs

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

1 cup flour

5 large eggs, divided

1/2 cup shredded emmenthal or gruyère cheese, or a combination

1/2 cup chopped Castelvetrano olives

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 1 cup water to a low simmer. Add butter, salt, and nutmeg; cook, stirring, until butter melts. Remove from heat, add flour, and stir well to remove any lumps. Return to heat. Cook, stirring vigorously, until dough pulls cleanly from sides of pan and forms a smooth ball, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Transfer dough to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. One at a time, add 4 eggs, beating on medium speed until each is absorbed before adding the next. Blend in cheese and olives.
3. Drop 1-tbsp. portions of dough 1 1/2 in. apart onto two greased baking sheets to make 44 total. Whisk remaining egg to blend and brush a little over dough.
4. Bake cheese puffs 20 minutes, switching pan positions halfway through. Reduce oven to 375° and bake until deep golden brown and crisp, 5 more minutes. Loosen from pan and serve immediately.
Make ahead: The baked puffs, up to 1 month, frozen airtight; reheat frozen on baking sheets in a 375° oven until hot, about 5 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!

5-Ingredient Mini-Holiday Quiches

Ingredients

6 hard-cooked eggs

6 prebaked puff-pastry shells

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1/3 cup grated Fontina cheese

Crumbled bacon

Preparation

Slice eggs crosswise and place 1 in each prebaked puff-pastry shells (found in the frozen-food section). Top with fresh sage and grated Fontina cheese. Bake at 400° F until the cheese melts (about 5 minutes). Garnish each tiny quiche with crumbled bacon, if desired. Serve at your holiday party and Enjoy!

Holiday Lemon-Caper Parmesan Potato Salad Bites

Ingredients

12 small red potatoes, halved (about 1 1/4 pounds)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup light sour cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, divided

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons finely chopped drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine potatoes and oil; toss to coat. Arrange potatoes, cut sides down, in a single layer on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes; bake 10 minutes. Remove and cool 20 minutes.
3. Preheat broiler to high.
4. Using a paring knife, carefully cut a circle in the cut side of potatoes. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove pulp from potato, leaving a thin shell. Combine pulp, sour cream, 1 tablespoon chives, and next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Evenly fill potato shells with filling; sprinkle with cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon chives.
5. Broil potatoes for 2 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
- Serve and Enjoy!

Christmas Morning Sweet Potato and Sausage Strata

Ingredients

6 ounces whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 (8-ounce) sweet potato

1 1/2 teaspoons Canola oil

6 ounces uncooked bulk chicken breakfast sausage

3 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 3/4 cup), divided

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

5 large eggs

Cooking spray

1/4 cup maple syrup

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place bread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, stirring once. Cool on pan 5 minutes.
3. Pierce potato with a fork. Place potato on a microwave-safe paper towel. Microwave at HIGH 8 minutes or until done. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel potato, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
4. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage to pan; cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.
5. Place bread, sweet potato, half of sausage, and half of cheese in a large bowl. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a bowl, stirring with a whisk; pour over bread mixture, and toss gently to combine. Let stand 20 minutes.
6. Scoop mixture into an 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining half of sausage and remaining half of cheese. Cover with foil lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake at 350° an additional 20 minutes or until done. Let stand 5 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup. Let cool to room temp. Serve and Enjoy!

-The perfect Christmas Breakfast, Serves-6

Quick and Easy Marshmallow Snowmen Treats

Ingredients

Marshmallows

Melted caramels

Gingersnaps

Decorative elements (sprinkles, royal icing, pretzel sticks, spice drops, fruit leather, food coloring and pink Cake Mate Decors)

Preparation

1. Dip a marshmallow in melted caramel; place on a gingersnap. Put sprinkles over excess caramel. Halve a marshmallow for head and attach with royal icing. Insert pretzels in body.
2. Flatten a spice drop; attach another to form hat. Cut scarves and bow ties from fruit leather; tuck under head. Dye royal icing and pipe eyes, nose and buttons. Attach pink Decors for cheeks. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Bacon, Potato, and Chix Soup

ngredients

4 center-cut bacon slices, diced

1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned

2 teaspoons garlic powder of 1 clove minced

2 cups thinly sliced leek (from 2 large leeks)

1 cup sliced carrot (from 2 large carrots)

1 cup sliced celery (from 2 large stalks)

4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson), divided

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 thyme sprigs

12 ounces baby potatoes

2 cups coarsely chopped kale

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.
2. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer chicken using a slotted spoon to a 6-quart electric slow cooker, reserving any drippings in pan. Add leek, carrot, and celery to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add leek mixture, bacon, remaining 3 cups stock, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours. Add potatoes; cover and cook on LOW for 2 more hours or until potatoes are tender.
3. Remove chicken from slow cooker with a slotted spoon; discard thyme sprigs. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces; discard bones. Return chicken to slow cooker; add kale, stirring until it starts to wilt. Serve and Enjoy!