Brie Pecan Cranberry Crostini with a Brown Sugar Maple Glaze
Ingredients:
1 baguette, sliced thin
1/2 lb. Brie cheese wedge, warm
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans (can substitue with walnuts)
1/4 cup brown sugar to sprinkle
Olive oil for brushing baguette
For the glaze:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions:
Lightly brush olive oil on the baguette slices and place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Broil these on high until they are golden. Watch carefully as this only takes 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar and maple syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to simmer until foamy – about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
Place cheese on a microwave safe plate and heat until the cheese begins to melt and is warm throughout.
Spread the cheese on your browned crostini.
Sprinkle dried cranberries and pecans over the cheese. Sprinkle brown sugar on each crostini. Top with the brown sugar maple glaze. Serve warm.
Alternatively, you can use roasted grapes with this recipe instead of dried cranberries. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to 1 cup of red grapes. Place grapes on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes.
Cream Cheese and Spicy Cranberry Spread
Ingredients:
8-ounce block of cream cheese
1/2 cup red jalapeño jelly
1/2 whole cranberry jellied cranberry sauce
Assorted crackers
Instructions:
Mix the jalapeño jelly and cranberry sauce until smooth.
Place the cream cheese on a serving dish. Pour sauce over cream cheese. Serve with crackers.
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients:
16 spears asparagus trimmed
8 thin, long slices of prosciutto (can substitute with bacon)
1 egg, beaten
2 sheets thawed frozen puff pastry (can substitute with crescent rolls)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the prosciutto lengthwise in half. Wrap one piece of the prosciutto around one spear of asparagus but leave the tip unwrapped.
Cut the puff pastry sheet into four pieces. Place two of the prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears diagonally across one quarter of the pastry. Pull pastry around asparagus leaving both ends open. Brush lightly with the egg. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with a store-bought Asian sweet chili sauce.
Orange Marmalade and Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 8-ounce block cream cheese
Zest from one orange
Instructions:
Mix ingredients together and place in the middle of a serving tray with assorted fruit.
Sprinkle orange zest on top of dip.
