Low sodium Pepperoni dip

Ingredients

• 1 brick (8 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing
• 24 slices Armour Lower Sodium Pepperoni, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
• Baby carrots
• Pita or mini bagel chips

Mustard-Maple Dipping Sauce

                                 

Ingredients

• 1 package Hillshire Farm Applewood Smoked Chicken Lit'l Smokies
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1. Remove Lit'l Smokies from package and place on microwave-safe dish. Microwave on medium-high power for 1 to 3 minutes, checking every minute.
2. Mix mustard, maple syrup and horseradish in small bowl. Serve with heated cocktail links.

Pfeffernusse Cookies and Puderzucker

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons anise extract

Apple Cranberry Cobbler with Spiced Whipped Cream

Description 

For an extra special holiday treat, serve with Organic Valley Organic Egg Nog.

Ingredients

• 8 cups tart apples (peeled, cored and chopped)
• 10 ounces cranberries (thawed and drained, or fresh if available)
• 4 tablespoons Organic Valley Butter (Salted, Cultured or Pasture Butter)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned, not the quick-cooking type.)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or substitute spelt four)
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• sea salt (to taste)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup Organic Valley Milk
• Spiced Whipped Cream
• 1 pint Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Fruitcake Parfaits

courtesy of the food network

Ingredients

• 1 loaf fruitcake (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
• 4 cups plain yogurt

Christmas Package Cheese Snack

courtesy of family fun magazine

Spread some holiday cheer at your family gathering with this savory appetizer.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Scallion
• Red bell pepper

 

Vince's Ham-and-Cheese Croquettes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup diced thinly sliced ham
• 1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 3 small cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 10-ounce box frozen peas
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Freshly ground pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 sleeve saltines (40 crackers), roughly crushed

Healthy Citrus Ambrosia Salad

• 1/2 cup(s) unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 jar(s) (1 1/2-pound) refrigerated citrus segments in juice1 (or more, to taste) limes
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 bag(s) (5- to 6-ounce) mixed baby greens or spring mix with herbs

Directions

1. Toast coconut flakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place coconut in 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan in single layer. Toast 3 minutes or until golden. (Coconut can burn easily; check after 2 minutes.)
2. Drain citrus segments, reserving 1 tablespoon juice in large bowl. From limes, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice; add to citrus juice in bowl. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. In thin, steady stream, whisk in oil until blended.
3. Add greens to dressing; toss to coat. Arrange dressed greens on 8 salad plates; top with citrus segments and coconut flakes.

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Read more: Citrus-Ambrosia Salad - Good Housekeeping

Baked Shrimp Scampi

courtesy of the food network

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Baked French Swirl Toast

Courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen

1 loaf (16 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Cinnamon Swirl Bread, cut into cubes

3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

6 eggs

3 cups half-and-half or milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon-sugar or confectioners' sugar

Whipped butter

Pure maple syrup

Gingerbread Truffles

courtesy of Epicurious

yield: Makes about 2 dozen

Holiday spices and molasses give these chocolate truffles seasonal charm.

• 3/4 cup whipping cream

• 10 whole allspice
• 10 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 7 ounces plus 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 7 ounces plus 12 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger plus additional for garnish

Michael Symon's Seafood Stew

Cleveland's own Michael was on live Kelly this Morning.  Here's his recipe for seafood stew.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbl olive oil
6 u10 scallops (drypack)
10 u16 shrimp shell on deveined
1lb. calamari
1lb. mussels
2 cloves sliced garlic
4 sliced scallions
½ cup chopped parsley
½ tsp chile flake
2 oz sambuca
16 oz san marzano tomatoes (chopped)
10 oz stock
1 pinch saffron
zest of 1 orange
¼ tsp ground coriander
salt to taste

Paula Dean's Snowflake Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Edible Paint Icing, recipe follows
• Garnish: silver dragees, sugar pearls, sparkling sugar

Now bring us a figgy pudding!

In the December 2004 issue of Good Housekeeping, author Laura Kalpakian shares the wonderful tale of Amanda Day, a crusty old British dame intent on bringing cheer to widower Roland Night. Her plan of action? To prepare a traditional Figgy Pudding that she hopes will remind him of the joy of Christmas. But when Amanda invites Roland to her family's home for Christmas Day, how will her relatives react? The answer's in the current issue. And here, as a special gift to GoodHousekeeping.com visitors, is Laura Kalpakian's treasured recipe for Figgy Pudding. Says Laura: "I always feel when I make pudding from this recipe that I am part of a tradition that connects to the 19th century."
Try the recipe for Figgy Pudding!

Brooke Fraser's Fig Glazed Ham!

Recipe: Brooke Fraser's Fig Glazed Ham!

Author: Brooke Fraser

Today I’m sharing with you my favourite favourite favourite ham recipe. It is to. die. for. and so easy that it’s kind of unfair.

I made this at the first Christmas I ‘hosted’ as a married woman and it was a smash hit! It was definitely a big deal for me to leave my family Christmas in NZ (four generations, 30 people) and have my first Christmas with my new family in Australia, but this ham helped me start a tradition of my own. I can’t even remember where I got the recipe, it might have even been out of a supermarket catalogue pullout, but it is now handwritten in my recipe journal and a firm favourite. Enjoy hot at Christmas lunch, then cold over the following days in sandwiches, salads or on it’s own. I even eat the cooled, caramelized glaze with a spoon. So wrong yet so right.

Here it is!

FIG GLAZED HAM

Prep time 20 minutes/Cooking time 40 minutes/Serves 6 (at least)

3-4kg half leg ham (7-9 lbs)
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup fig jam
1 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (I add more)

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F)
Remove rind from ham by easing it off gently with your fingers. Use the tip of a sharp knife to score the layers of fat at 2cm (0.8 inch) intervals.

2. Put syrup and jam in a pan over a medium heat and stir until jam has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Put ham in a deep baking dish, spread syrup miture over the top and bake for 40 minutes until golden. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Not the most amazing presentation last year, I’ll admit that, but we were eating on a porch on the sand in a rented house, so an al foil tin from the local grocery store was the best we could do! Still tasted redunkulous.