Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:


CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST(recipe follows)

1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE GLAZE(recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups or spray with vegetable cooking spray.* Press about 1 tablespoonful CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST mixture onto bottom of each cup.

2. Stir together cocoa and 1/4 cup butter. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Fill muffin cups with batter.

3. Bake 35 minutes or until set. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Refrigerate. Before serving, spread with CHOCOLATE GLAZE. Allow to set. Serve at room temperature. About 24 mini cheesecakes.

CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST: Stir together 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers, crushed), 6 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa, 6 tablespoons powdered sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine in medium bowl.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Melt 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips with 1 cup (1/2 pt.) whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth. Use immediately. About 2 cups glaze.

*If vegetable cooking spray is used, cool baked cheesecakes. Freeze 15 minutes; remove with narrow spatula.

Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:


18 to 24 vanilla wafer cookies

2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1 container (8 oz.) dairy sour cream

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

SOUR CREAM TOPPING(recipe follows)

canned cherry pie filling, chilled

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with foil bake cups. Place one vanilla wafer (flat-side down) in bottom of each cup.

2. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, cocoa and flour; blend well. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in sour cream and almond extract. Fill each muffin cup almost full with batter.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool 5 to 10 minutes. Spread heaping teaspoon SOUR CREAM TOPPING on each cup. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; refrigerate. Just before serving, garnish with cherry pie filling. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecakes. 1-1/2 to 2 dozen cheesecakes.


SOUR CREAM TOPPING: Stir together 1 container (8 oz.) dairy sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Christmas Candy Recipe #2

Here is my new Christmas Candy Recipe #2

Mocha Truffles Recipe

2 packages (12 ounces each) Nestlé® Tollhouse® Semi-Sweet Morsels


1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2 teaspoons water

1 pound dark chocolate candy coating, coarsely chopped

White candy coating, optional

Directions

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Add the cream cheese, coffee and water. Chill until firm enough to shape. Shape into 1-in. balls and place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Chill for 1-2 hours or until firm.

In a microwave, melt chocolate coating; stir until smooth. Dip balls in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Melt white coating and drizzle over truffles if desired. Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

Christmas Package Cheese Snack

If you're like me, you like to find new ideas for gift giving.  I ran across this cute idea this afternoon and wanted to share with all of my readers.  It is nice and easy, too!

Spread some holiday cheer at your family gathering with this savory appetizer.


Ingredients

8 ounces of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Scallion
Red bell pepper

Instructions

Mix the dried dill, garlic powder, and salt into the softened cream cheese.
Pack the mixture into a rectangular container lined with plastic wrap (you can reuse the cream cheese box).
Refrigerate it for at least 3 hours. Before serving time, set the unwrapped block of cheese on a platter and decorate it with a scallion bow and red pepper polka dots and gift tag.