Party Panache, Holiday Apps in a Snap

the Painted Apron

8 years ago

As much as I hate to re-live this fateful day,

We had some tasty noshes

and I want to share these “apps in a snap”

for the busy days ahead!

White Cheddar Cranberry Almond Spirals were created with Alabama red and white in mind

And the Figgy Bleu Spread symbolized Auburn’s blue and orange

HH and HHjr are Alabama alums but our son in law, NG is an Auburn guy so I try to be fair

The simple spirals were made with a combo of white cheddar*, Italian blend or Parmesan, dried cranberries and sliced almonds**

*if you have a Trader Joe’s try the Unexpected Cheddar Cheese, it’s very tasty

**I used a package of Honey Roasted Almonds with Cranberries from the section with salad dressings and toppings

If you spread a thin layer of butter on the pie dough before topping it will help the cheese and toppings stick to the dough, which I realized after I cut the slices…

But I just smushed them together and it worked fine 😂

This Figgy Bleu Spread is very effortless, 3 ingredients

Put cubes of cream cheese in a small greased baking dish and top with bleu cheese

Put the dish in the oven for 15 minutes to melt cheeses and then stir

Top with fig jam

Return to oven for another 15 minutes, then spread jam into an even layer over the top

You can garnish this with chopped walnuts or pistaschios if desired

🐷 or BACON 🥓

White Cheddar Cranberry Spirals

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings 12 spirals

Ingredients

1 refrigerated pie crust dough round
dried cranberries
sliced almonds
4 oz White cheddar grated
2 oz. grated Parmesan or Italian Blend cheese
2 T soft butter optional

Instructions

Roll out dough to thin a little and form into more of a rectangle. Spread with a thin layer of butter to help the cheese stick if desired. Sprinkle cheeses in a thick even layer on dough. Top with cranberries and almonds. Roll up into a long log, as tightly as possible.
Cut into 3/4″ slices and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until pie crust is golden
Makes 12-14 slices

Figgy Bleu Spread

Course Appetizer, condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword appetizer spread, bleu cheese bun, easy dip, fig & blue cheese spread, fig jam, party appetizer

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

8 0 z cream cheese softened {light is fine, but don’t use non fat}
4 oz bleu cheese cut into pieces
4 oz fig jam {Dalmatia Fig Spread is my favorite}
2 oz chopped walnuts or pistachios

Instructions

Cube cream cheese and place in a small greased baking dish.
Top with bleu cheese pieces and bake at 325 for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir to combine cheeses. Top with dollops of fig spread. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes more, or until bubbling.
Spread jam into an even layer over the top. Garnish with nuts if desired. Serve with crackers, baguette slices, apple slices.