Yesterday afternoon I hosted an Arbonne Skin Care Party for a dear friend of mine. I booked it a few weeks back, and thought, “I have PLENTY of time to get my house in order!” Well… Plenty of time is NEVER enough when you have 5 little ones running around!
So, needless to say, I was totally stressed out not quite ready, with just a couple hours till party time. But… THANKS to 3 of my SWEET SISTERS,
it all came together at the last second! We were even able to get a few yummy treats made and I thought I would share the recipes since they were all SO delicious and would be perfect for all the Christmas parties coming up!
The first recipe is a favorite around here… Especially of my hubby’s… He loves anything that contains cherries! It is so easy and so festive that I usually make it for with our Christmas brunch!
Cherry Cheese Coffee CakeCake & filling
2 (8 oz. each) pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
21 oz. can cherry pie fillingGlaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons milkPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent dough and arrange 12 of the triangles in a circle with wide ends toward the outside edge of the Large Round Stone – the points will not meet in the center. Lightly flour and roll out the seams making a 14″ circle with a 3″ hole in the center. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg & vanilla and spread over dough. Top with pie filling. Cut each of the 4 remaining triangles into thirds (starting at the wide end opposite the point and cutting lengthwise to the point). Arrange over filling evenly in spoke-like pattern. Press ends to seal at center and outer edges. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Mix powdered sugar and milk until glaze consistency and drizzle over coffee cake.
I figured with a house full of women I HAD TO HAVE something made with chocolate… So, I decided on this delicious brownie recipe. It was also very easy to make as are most Pampered Chef Recipes. (I LOVE Pampered Chef!)
Triple Layer Brownies
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 package (19-21 oz.) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make brownies)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Additional chopped peanuts (optional)Prep time: 10 minutes1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray Rectangular Baker with nonstick cooking spray. Chop peanuts using Food Chopper. Combine oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and peanuts in Small Batter Bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press oat mixture onto bottom of Baker. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Meanwhile, prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Gently spoon batter over partially baked crust; carefully spread to edges of Baker. Bake according to package directions for brownies (28-30 minutes). Cool completely.
3. Combine chocolate morsels and peanut butter in Small Micro-Cooker. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over cooled brownies using Large Spreader. Sprinkle with additional chopped peanuts, if desired. Cool until chocolate mixture is set. Cut into bars. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
Chicken Satay Spring Rolls
Ingredients:Sauce
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh gingerroot
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepperSpring Rolls
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1/2 small cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into julienne strips
4 (8-inch) round or square rice paper wrappers (see Cook’s Tip)
1 cup packed fresh baby spinach leaves
8 ounces thinly sliced deli chicken or turkey
12 sprigs fresh cilantro1. For sauce, finely grate gingerroot using Grater. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine gingerroot, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, water, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and cayenne pepper. Whisk until smooth using Stainless Whisk; set aside.
2. For spring rolls, chop peanuts using Food Chopper; set aside. Score cucumber lengthwise using Lemon Zester/Scorer. Remove seeds using The Corer™. Using Ultimate Slice & Grate fitted with adjustable thin slicing blade, slice cucumber. Slice bell pepper into thin strips using Chef’s Knife.
3. Cut carrot into long julienne strips using Julienne Peeler.
4. To assemble spring rolls, moisten both sides of one rice paper wrapper with water using Pastry Brush. Arrange one-fourth of the spinach leaves over wrapper, leaving a 1-inch space along edges. Top with one-fourth of the chicken and spread with a thin layer of sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts. Arrange cucumber, bell pepper, carrot and cilantro sprigs over chicken, allowing cilantro leaves to extend outside edges of wrapper.
5. Roll up spring roll tightly; repeat with remaining wrappers. Cut each spring roll into fourths using Serrated Bread Knife. Stand pieces up on Simple Additions® Rectangle Platter and serve.
Variation: Chicken Satay Tortilla Wraps: If desired, four burrito-size tortillas (11-11 1/2 inches), trimmed into 9-inch squares, can be substituted for the rice paper wrappers. Do not moisten tortillas. Spread peanut sauce onto one side of tortillas, sprinkle with chopped peanuts, then layer with spinach leaves and chicken. Proceed as recipe directs in Step 3.
**I really think that the Rice Paper makes them the best and is VERY unique! Rice paper wrappers are thin, round or square sheets that are made from rice flour. They have a translucent, white appearance and are shelf stable. Rice paper wrappers can be found in Asian or specialty food markets.
If any of you try these, let me know what you think!
Do you have any extra sisters? I would like one or two if you have them available. Sigh! How fun that they can help you! I love the recipes! I think I was drooling over the brownie one…I love chocolate!
That Cherry thing makes me want Christmas visitors to spend the night just so I can serve this to them in the morning!!
Beautiful!
I just made the Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake. Thank you so much for sharing this yummy recipe. It was actually easier to make than I expected.
I am glad that you liked the coffee cake, Karen! It is a surprisingly easy recipe to make, and you'd never know it by how pretty it turns out. 🙂