Pineapple Cheese Ball

This Cheese ball is a crowd favorite and so easy to make!

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 packages (12 oz) cream cheese
• 1 small can crushed pineapple (well drained)
• powdered sugar (to taste- approximately 2-3 Tbsp.)
• green onion (optional-to taste, approximately 2 Tbsp.)
• chopped ham (optional-to taste, approximately 2-3 Tbsp. I used deli meat ham)
• chopped pecans (about 1 cup worth)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients together.
2. Mash into a ball and chill.
3. Roll in crushed pecans.
4. Refrigerate until served. Serve with crackers.

Source: chef-in-training.com

Holiday Tree-Shaped Cheese Ball

An easy, eye-catching way to serve a holiday cheese ball. The best news? You can make it up to a month in advance!

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 4 hour 20 minutes
• Servings: 7

Ingredients:

3        packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

4        cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)

2        tablespoons basil pesto

1        tablespoon grated onion

1/4     teaspoon yellow mustard

          Red pepper sauce

1/4    cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro

1/4    cup pine nuts or sliced almonds

2       tablespoons chopped red bell pepper

         Piece of lemon peel, if desired

         Assorted crackers, if desired

Directions:

• Stir together cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; divide in half. Stir pesto into 1 half; stir onion, mustard and 2 or 3 drops pepper sauce into other half. Cover each half; refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.
• Place cheese mixtures on cookie sheet. Shape each half into cone shape to look like a pine tree.
• If desired, wrap each tree, label and freeze up to 1 month. Twelve hours before serving, remove trees from freezer. Thaw in wrapper in refrigerator.
• Just before serving, roll trees in parsley, pressing it evenly onto trees. Press pine nuts onto trees in string form for garland. Press bell pepper pieces onto trees for ornaments. Top each tree with star shape cut from lemon peel. Serve with crackers.

Source: tablespoon.com

Mrs. Billett's White Cake

We don't remember who Mrs. Billet is, but she's a cake-lover's best friend. Use a heavy-duty electric stand mixer for best results. Also, lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper ensures that the layers come out of the pans with ease.

Ingredients:

• Parchment paper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 5 egg whites
• Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
• Garnish: fondant snowflakes

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper, and grease and flour paper.
2. 2. Stir together milk and vanilla.
3. 3. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift together flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
4. 4. Beat egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form; gently fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. 5. Bake at 350° for 20 to 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; discard parchment paper. Cool completely (about 40 minutes).
6. 6. Spread Vanilla Buttercream Frosting between layers (about 1 cup per layer) and on top and sides of cake.

Sue Winter, Gillette, Wyoming, Southern Living
DECEMBER 2012