Tag: #Appetizers

Posted in #Recipes

Pumpkin Truffles

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Looking for an adorable treat to share this fall? These pumpkin truffles are not only cute and made from simple ingredients, but they’re also incredibly satisfying one-bite treats inspired by the flavors of pumpkin cheesecake. Each truffle is packed full of sweet pumpkin, tangy cream cheese and warm pumpkin spice flavors. These tasty truffles would make a great addition to any fall dessert spread.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Truffles

  • White chocolate: Melted white chocolate adds sweetness to the truffles. For this recipe, use a high-quality baking chocolate, such as a Ghirardelli white chocolate premium baking bar.
  • Cream cheese: Plain cream cheese gives the truffles a creamy and slightly tangy flavor. For the richest flavor, use full-fat cream cheese. Use your favorite brand, or try one of our Test Kitchen’s recommendations for the best cream cheese brands. Soften the cream cheese to room temperature first so that it incorporates easily and smoothly with the other ingredients. Nobody wants a lumpy pumpkin truffle!
  • Pumpkin puree: Although you can make pumpkin puree from scratch, we recommend using canned pumpkin for this recipe. Pick up canned pure pumpkin puree—not pumpkin pie mix.
  • Pumpkin butter: Pumpkin butter adds a concentrated pumpkin flavor to the truffles. If you don’t have pumpkin butter, you can just skip it. (If you’re hesitant to make a batch, know that leftover pumpkin butter is perfect for topping buttermilk biscuits and cinnamon waffles or making an autumnal pumpkin spice Moscow mule.)
  • Pumpkin pie spice: Pumpkin pie spice is typically a combination of ground warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves. Use store-bought pumpkin pie spice or make your own pumpkin pie spice blend from scratch using ingredients you probably already have in your spice cabinet.
  • Graham cracker crumbs: Graham cracker crumbs held hold the truffles together while adding more sweetness.
  • Spiced sugar coating: The truffles get a little sparkle—and additional pumpkin pie flavor—with a quick roll in a sugar-and-spice coating made with granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
  • Mini chocolate chips: To complete their pumpkin appearance, each truffle is topped with a mini chocolate chip “stem.”

Taste of Home

Posted in Book Reviews

The Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Celebrate the season with this treasure trove of cozy cooking and baking recipes, from soul-warming soups and simple dinners to showstoppers and weekend projects.

As the air grows chillier and nights longer, these dishes draw us to the table and the warmth of an active kitchen: Slow-simmered dishes like Cider-Braised Pork Roast, cheesy weeknight pasta like Unstuffed Shells with Butternut Squash, or a crusty bread like Fig and Fennel Bread.

When the flavors of summer fade, autumn and winter fruits and vegetables can be just as bold and bountiful. Find recipe inspiration from the season’s first ripe figs and plump brussels sprouts to roasty sides featuring celery root, kohlrabi, and kabocha squash, or a cranberry curd tart to brighten a winter’s night.

Themed chapters showcase all the reasons to love autumn and winter cooking:

  • Find new celeberation favorites with a chapter of centerpiece dishes like Turkey and Gravy for a Crowd or Swiss Chard Pie to wow your guests.
  • Picked apples on an autumnal adventure? All Things Apple covers both sweet and savory recipes like French Apple Cake and Celery Root, Fennel, and Apple Chowder to help you use them up.
  • Create the ultimate party spread with chapters devoted to Appetizers, Festive Drinks, and Brunch: Try fried Korean fried chicken wings, latkes with beet-horseradish applesauce, or Everything Straws.
  • Obsessed with pumpkin? So are we! In the Everyone Loves Pumpkin chapter you’ll find everything from Creamy Pumpkin-Chai Soup to Rum Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.
  • Bake to your heart’s content with chapters covering breads, cookies, cakes, pies, puddings, and more.
  • Give the gift of food with recipes for Rocky Road Bark and Fruits of the Forest Liqueur.

America’s Test Kitchen’s tips and tricks guarantee every meal is a success. Flip to the introduction for menus and entertaining tips. Plus, we’ve added seasonally themed spreads throughout so you can decorate the perfect holiday cookies or plan a charcuterie board with last-second appetizers.

Posted in #Recipes

35 Easy Cream Cheese Appetizers

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

You’ve used cream cheese before, but probably not like this, where it steps out from the background and becomes the centerpiece of the snack table. These cream cheese appetizers show why it remains a go-to ingredient for both casual gatherings and as party appetizers to feed a crowd. Its smooth texture and subtle tang make it the perfect base for easy appetizers with cream cheese, ranging from baked dips to cold spreads.

Each recipe in this collection highlights a different way to use cream cheese, whether melted into a warm, savory cheeseburger dip or layered under a pepperoncini spread with a bit of heat. It adds rich depth to golden sausage pinwheels and complements the flaky pastry of tourtieres. Even easy appetizers like pastrami roll-ups or lemon-herb salmon toasts feel more complete with a smooth layer of cheese.

Cream cheese also comes together easily with minimal prep. Let it soften until spreadable or whip it with a splash of milk for a lighter texture. Serve cream cheese dips with crisp veggies or crackers and finish with fresh chives or everything-bagel seasoning. For extra crunch, air-fry cream cheese bites until golden. These quick cream cheese snack ideas bring bold flavors that are perfect to serve and easy to love.

Taste of Home