Oreo and White Chocolate Holiday Tartlets

 

It is that time of year again:  holiday goodies abound.  If you are like me, you might be searching for an alternative to traditional seasonal staples like Chex mix, fudge, and peanut butter kisses.  These little tartlets are always a big hit and require little preparation.  With four simple ingredients and a quick freeze, you have a new holiday favorite.  Piping the white chocolate mix gives these tartlets an elegant flair.  Dress them up with a festive mini-muffin wrapper, and you have an instant party classic!

 

 

 

Seize the moment....remember all those women who waved off the dessert cart on the Titanic. 

Erma Bombeck

 

 

Oreo and White Chocolate Holiday Tartlets

 

Crust: 

16 crushed Oreos

3 T Butter, melted

 

Filling:

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened (Neufchatel and low-fat versions work too)

12 oz. white chocolate (chips or melting chocolate), melted and cooled a bit

 

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl.  Reserve 2 T of crumbs for the topping.  Divide crumb mixture evenly among 24 lined (both paper and foil liners work) mini muffin tin.  Press into the bottom of each cup. 

 

Beat Cream cheese and melted chocolate until mixed well.

 

Using a pastry bag with star tip (or a gallon Ziploc with the corner cut off), pipe evenly into each muffin cup.  Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top.  Freeze until firm - about an hour.

 

Makes 24 tartlets



Holiday Ham Bites

Holiday Ham Bites

During my years as a military spouse, I often found myself needing to bring an appetizer or dish to pass for various events.   The most requested and beloved of my appetizers was the ham bite.  Originally adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe, it is extremely versatile.  

For a brief time prior to one of my husband's deployments, I ran a small catering business for parties and coffee groups on post.  Various forms of the ham bite came to life:  philly bites, pizza bites, Thanksgiving bites, spinach artichoke bites, etc.  You can mix and match ingredients in this one.  Think of your favorite food, and then put them in a crescent cup!

"Hors D'oeuvres:  a ham sandwich cut into forty pieces."  Jack Benny

Holiday Ham Bites

3 oz. ham, chopped 
1/4 C onion, diced
1/2 C swiss cheese (cheddar works great too)
1 egg
1 1/2 t Dijon mustard 
Fresh ground black pepper (if desired)
1 8 oz. package crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Mix first six ingredients in a small bowl.  Spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.  Unroll crescent dough into 4 separate rectangular pieces (along perforated seams).  Press triangles together and roll out.  Cut in half longways and then twice the opposite direction to make 6 square pieces out of each sheet, making a total of 24 square pieces.*  Press each dough piece into the muffin cups, and then fill each cup 3/4 of the way with the ham mixture.  Bake 13-15 minutes until lightly browned.  


*You can also press all seams and roll out dough into one large sheet and just divide into 24 squares.