Holiday Treats and Sweets

Festive Cookies, Cakes, Pies and more. 

Stocking your Pantry for Holiday baking

• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Walnuts and Pecans
• Cooking and Baking Sprays
• Cream Cheese
• Semi Sweet Chocolate
• Unsalted Butter
• Eggs, Milk, Heavy Cream, Sweet and Condensed Milk
• Brown Sugar and other spices

These are some of the items required for you holiday baking project.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars

What you need !

Ingredients

• 8 ounce package of Cream Cheese (soften)
• 2/3 cups sugar, or Splenda for baking  (divided)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger, (divided)
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, (soften)
• 3/4 molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp allspice

 Let's make these bars

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ and prep 13" x 9" baking pan.
2. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add 1 egg, vanilla and 1/2 tsp ginger; blend until smooth.  Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
4. Beat butter and remaining sugar in large bowl at medium speed until smooth and fluffy.  Add molasses and remaining eggs; beat until well blended.  Combine flour, baking soda, remaining ginger, cinnamon, salt, and allspice in medium bowl.  Then add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat just until blended.  Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. 
5. Remove cream cheese mixture from refrigerator and drop mixture by spoonfuls into gingerbread batter; swirl into batter with knife.
6. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool on rack.  Makes 2 dozen bars.

Creamy Lemon Nut Bars

What you need !

Ingredients - Prep Time: 15 min     Cook Time: 30 min

·       1 stick unsalted butter (soften)

·       1/3 cup powder sugar

·       2 tsp vanilla

·       1 3/4 cups of flour (divided)

·       1/3 cup chopped Pecans

·       8 ounce package Cream Cheese (soften)

·       2 cups sugar or Splenda for baking

·       3 eggs

·       1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

·       1 tbsp lemon zest

   

Are you ready for some Lemon Bars ?

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.  You will need 13" x 9" baking pan lined with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
2. Mix butter,  1/3 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl.  Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups of the flour and pecans.  Press dough firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Blend cream cheese and granulated sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until blended.  Then add remaining 1/4 cup flour and eggs; beat until blended.
4. Add lemon juice and zest.  Pour over baked crust in pan.  Bake 30 minutes or until set.  Remove from oven; cool completely.  Then sprinkle powdered sugar, garnish with more lemon zest and cut into 32 bars. 

Spiced Pecans

 Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  margarine
• 4  cups  pecans
• 1 1/2  cups  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  cinnamon
• 1  tablespoon  ground cloves
• 1  tablespoon  nutmeg

Preparation

Melt margarine and add pecans. Cook and stir 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Mix remaining ingredients in plastic container. Add warm pecans and shake to coat. Spread on a baking sheet to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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