Hello Recipe Club,

I'd like to thank my friend Cynthia Bowan for her recipes and party ideas this week. Do not forget to watch for her monthly contributions at Cynthia's Corner.

Next week we have another special treat. Patricia Rain also known as "The Vanilla Queen" has just released her new book, Vanilla, The Cultural History of the World's Favorite Flavor and Fragrance. Copies will be available to win for our members and the recipes will be great as usual.

Here are some ideas for a New Year's Eve party. Have a fine weekend.

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Fondue-Style Cheese-Stuffed Puffs

Makes 48

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water
1/3 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup flour
3 eggs
1/3 cup finely snipped dried tart cherries
5 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preparation:

Line two baking sheets with foil, grease foil. Set aside. Combine water, butter, garlic salt and nutmeg in medium saucepan. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball.

Remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating dough well with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth. Stir in cherries. Drop dough by small spoonfuls into 48 mounds on prepared sheets.

Cut cheese into 48 cubes, each about 1/2 inch square. Place a cube in the center of each mound, pressing in slightly. Bake at 400 degrees F, about 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

To make ahead:

Prepare and bake as directed. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Place in freezer containers and freeze up to 1 month. To reheat, place frozen puffs on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F., 10 minutes, or until heated through.

OR, prepare as directed but do not bake. Freeze cheese-stuffed mounds on baking sheets about 1 hour or until solid. Remove from foil and place in freezer container. Freeze up to 1 month. To bake, place on baking sheets lined with greased foil. Bake at 400 degrees F., about 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Raspberry-Camembert Spread

Ingredients:

10 ounce package raspberries, thawed and drained
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
8 ounces Camembert, rind removed and cubed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
pear and apple slices

Preparation:

Combine first 3 ingredients in food processor with knife blade, process until smooth. Add nuts and pulse until well blended. Spoon into serving crock or bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. 

Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving with red and green pear and apple slices.

Hint: Dip fruit slices in small bowl of water and lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

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New Year's Pretzels

Makes 2 large pretzels

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
2 packages active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
7 cups flour
2 large eggs
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
1/4 cup almonds or walnuts, chopped

Preparation:

Heat milk and butter until very warm. Mix yeast, salt, sugar and 1 cup flour. Slowly beat warm milk into yeast mixture. Beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs and 1 cup of the flour. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. 

Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour more. Divide dough in half.

To shape pretzel, roll dough into a rope about 30 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cross the ends leaving a large loop in the center. Flip loop back onto crossed ends to form a pretzel.

Repeat with remaining dough. Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Let rise 15 minutes more. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. 

Mix powdered sugar, water and vanilla to form a thin icing. Spread icing on pretzels and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Makes 2 large pretzels.