Flying Broom Cookies....

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 42 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
one cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
one teaspoon vanilla extract
8 (8-1/2-inch-long) pretzel rods, halved
two (2-ounce) chocolate sweet coating squares, melted
one (four.25-ounce) tube red or orange decorating frosting

Preparation:

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating until blended. Add flour & salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla. Shape dough in to 16 (1-1/4-inch) balls.

Place pretzel rods on ungreased baking sheets. Press a ball of dough onto cut finish of each pretzel. Press dough firmly with a fork to resemble broom bristles.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for ten to 12 minutes. Cook on baking sheets on wire racks two minutes; remove to wire racks to icy .

Place brooms on wax paper. Spoon melted chocolate sweet coating over pretzel & cookie where they join; let stand until firm. Decorate as desired with colored frosting.

Yield: 16 cookies

Nutty Banana Cheesecake

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 8 to ten servings

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:
one cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
.
Cheesecake Filling:
one medium ripe banana
one teaspoon lemon juice
16 ounces (two giant blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
one teaspoon vanilla extract
two giant eggs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided use
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
one Tablespoon butter

Preparation:

For the Crust:
Merge chocolate cookie crumbs & butter. Press in to the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for ten minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For the Filling:
Mash the banana with the lemon juice. (This won't only add a small bit of tang, but also keep the banana from darkening.) Set aside.

In a giant bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, mashed bananas, & vanilla until smooth & creamy, about three minutes on medium speed. Beat in eggs, after the other, until well-mixed after each addition. Fold in half of the walnuts.

Melt chocolate chips & butter in the microwave & whisk until combined. Pour in to a ziptop bag, squeeze out the air, & seal. Snip a small corner from the bag & use it as a pastry bag to drizzle chocolate on the cheesecake.

Pour in to the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Return to the oven & bake 30 to 40 minutes, until set but middle is still slightly jiggly. Let chilled.

Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Cranberry Liqueur

Total Time: 15 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

one can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
two cups vodka
one can (16 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
one can (12 ounces) frozen cranberry-orange juice cocktail, thawed
one cup half & half
one teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Merge vodka, sweetened condensed milk, cranberry sauce, cranberry-orange juice cocktail, half-and-half, & cinnamon. Place in a blender & blend (in batches) until smooth.

Cover & chill overnight to permit flavors to blend. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Yield: about 8 cups liqueur

Frozen Fruit Salad... Like a Yummy Desert..

Prep Time: one hour

Total Time: one hour

Ingredients:

one tablespoon water mixed with one tablespoon lemon juice
one teaspoon unflavored gelatin
one tablespoon confectioner's sugar
one (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups mixed diced fresh fruit

Preparation:

Place water mixture in a custard cup, sprinkle in gelatin and sugar, and set in a tiny pan of simmering water; heat and stir until gelatin dissolves.

Beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until blended and stir in gelatin mixture; whip cream to soft peaks and fold in along with fruit. Spoon in to a 9-inch square pan and freeze until firm. Cut in squares and serve on lettuce.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Carrot Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup ice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 banana

Method:

Place the pineapple, ice, orange juice, carrot, & banana in a blender.
Blend until smooth & frothy.