We announced our Holiday Recipe winners and now we want to pass on the recipes to you! Here are the delicious recipes for your own holiday party! (Our 1st place winner, the Mini Goat Cheese Balls, is listed in the newest issue of Blue Ridge Country out on newsstands October 23rd.)
2nd Place: Sweet Potato Cheesecake (submitted by Hidemi Walsh)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb Sweet Potato
8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Unflavored Gelatin
4 oz Graham Cracker
4 tablespoons Butter, melted
Directions:
1. Crush graham cracker finely in a food processor (writer’s note: I found pre-packaged graham cracker crumbs at Kroger that worked just as well as food-processed crumbs). In a bowl, combine crushed crackers and melted butter and mix well. Transfer to 9 inch pie pan and press the mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pan with hands.
2. In a small bowl, combine gelatin and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir well and set aside.
3. Make filling. Peel and cut sweet potato into small cubes. Boil water in a saucepan, put sweet potatoes and cook until tender. Drain and puree in blender. Add granulated sugar, cream cheese and whipping cream. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Heat gelatin in a microwave for 20-25 seconds or until gelatin is dissolved then add to the filling bowl. Mix well.
5. Pour the filling into the crust. Refrigerate for a couple of hour or until set. When ready to serve, decorate with whipped cream on top and serve.
3rd Place: Praline Crescents (submitted by Glenda Hall)
Ingredients:
⅓ cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup Rice Krispies
½ cup chopped pecans (very small)
½ cup coconut
8 oz. can crescent rolls
3 oz. package cream cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar & cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add sour cream & cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. Mix cereal, nuts & coconut together & add to butter/sugar/sour cream mixture. Stir together real good.
4. Combine cream cheese & powdered sugar together; mix good & set aside.
5. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles & cut each of those into 3 small triangles. Place each triangle in ungreased mini muffin cup pan (be sure to use mini muffin pan).
6. Press to cover bottom & sides with points extending out. Spread a small amount of cream cheese mixture on bottom of each crescent (divide it out so you will not run short) then
spoon a good rounded teaspoon of cereal mixture over the cream cheese mixture. Bring triangle ends together to form a little basket.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 – 16 minutes (depends on your oven) or until deep golden brown. Serve warm or cool. Yield: 24
