My Recipe Collection

Whole-Wheat Raspberry Rugelach

Makes 48 cookies
Prep time: 45 minutes (plus 1 hour for chilling)
Cook time: 20 minutes

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
8 tablespoons cold butter, sliced
12 ounces lowfat cream cheese
Cooking spray
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
9 tablespoons raspberry preserves
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
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Mix flour and butter in a food processor until mixture forms small chunks of dough. Add cream cheese and process again until dough holds together. Divide into 3 equal balls. Flatten each portion of the dough into disks; wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spritz a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle half of it on the surface where you’ll roll the dough. Roll one disk into a 10-inch circle.

Next, spread 3 tablespoons of preserves on top of the dough. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining cinnamon and 1/3 of the chopped pecans. Cut the circle into 16 wedges. Starting on the wider outside edge, roll up each wedge. Transfer to the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Repeat process with other 2 disks of dough.

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

Prep: 15 minutes plus refrigerating
Bake: 1 hour 5 minutes
Serves: 16

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
12 caramels
32 pecan halves
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Mix crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla until well blended. Add sour cream, mix well. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Place caramels and 1 tablespoon water in microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute or until caramels are completely melted when stirred. Place pecan halves on cheesecake; drizzle caramel over cheesecake.

Cranberry Delight Spread

8 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, optional
1/4 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
Crackers of your choice
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In an electric mixer bowl combine the cream cheese, juice, cinnamon, and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Fold in orange zest, pecans, and cranberries. Refrigerate. Garnish with a slice of cranberry or orange zest. Serve with crackers.

Makes 1 1/2 cups of spread.

Cranberry Fruit Conserve
Copyright 2002, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All rights reserved

1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh cranberries, cleaned
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 orange, zest grated and juiced
1 lemon, zest grated and juiced
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cook the cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the skins pop open. Add the apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let cool, and serve chilled.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 cups
User Rating: 5 Stars

Episode#: IG1B12
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved