What's Cookin': Holiday Treats

Anna's PTO puts on a wonderful luncheon for the teachers each holiday season and asks for volunteers to supply dishes.  Being our first year, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to donate and eventually decided that the way to anyone's heart is through dessert.  I've never made a cheesecake at home, but was intrigued when I saw a recipe for White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Bites in a Kraft Foods e-mail.  My only regret here is that I didn't post this recipe on the blog sooner as to inspire others to bake during the holiday season.  These were VERY easy, EXTREMELY delicious, and received rave reviews; an added bonus is the easy "wow factor" with the garnishes.  I had teachers stopping me in the hall during pickup for days to tell me how much they'd enjoyed the dessert.  That said, I think peppermint lends itself to being a winter dessert idea and there's a strong chance I'll be making these again before Spring : )

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Bites
Adapted from Kraft Foods

1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 cup Sour Cream
4 squares White Chocolate, melted
4 eggs
1cup thawed Cool Whip
Peppermint candies or miniature candy canes, crushed, for use as a garnish

Directions:
Heat oven to 325°F.

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and extract in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream and chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Top each piece with a dollop of Cool Whip and a sprinkle of crushed candy cane.

Yields: 32 cheesecake bites
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Note:  The recipe called for cutting these into 16 pieces, but I went with 32 instead and it was *just* the right amount for such a rich dessert.  You could easily cut the recipe in 1/2 or 2/3 and make a smaller portion. 

I also made several "batches" of holiday chocolate pretzel bites, a recipe that literally CANNOT be fudged up ... pun intended : )  Preheat your oven to 250 degrees, prepare a baking sheet with miniature pretzels, top each pretzel with a Hershey's Kiss (could also be done with a Rolo candy), bake for 5-7 minutes, until the chocolate is soft, press a M&M candy into the top, and refrigerate until set. 
 
I found inexpensive holiday-themed plates and tins at a local drug store and purchased miniature ornaments to adorn the ribbon used to tie the plate together.  These, along with a card and gift certificate, made wonderful gifts for Anna's teachers.