Fruit N Cheese Cups Recipes

FRUIT AND CHEESE PLATTER

Steps:

• Line a wooden board or flat dish with fig leaves and artfully arrange the goat cheese, grapes, preserves and crackers on top.
• Place the orange zest and orange juice in a medium (10-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sugar, vanilla bean, and figs to the pot. Cover and bring to a full boil over medium heat. (Don't worry; it may look dry.) Stir the mixture and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat, and cook uncovered at a full simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the little bubbles to be throughout the pot, not just at the edges. After 45 minutes, refrigerate a small amount of the liquid to see if it becomes syrupy. It should be like a soft fruit preserve. Keep cooking just until the liquid starts to gel when cold. If the liquid is too firm, add a little orange juice or water, cook for a minute, and test it again until it's right. Depending on how ripe the figs are, they will probably keep their shape, but it's fine if they don't. Discard the vanilla bean and serve or refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Place the oats, flour, brown sugar, and kosher salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse for 45 to 60 seconds, until the oats are coarsely ground. Add the butter and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the butter is the size of peas.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the lukewarm water and drizzle it over the crumbs in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened and can be pressed into balls that will hold together.
• With a medium (1 3/4-inch) ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the dough into your hands and roll them into round balls. Evenly space 12 balls on the prepared sheet pans. Flour the bottom of a flat-bottomed 3-inch-diameter drinking glass and use it to flatten each cracker to 1/8 inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. The crackers will not be perfectly round. If there is a lot of flour on the crackers, turn them over with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with the fleur de sel and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• "Cooking for Jeffrey" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2016. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

FRUIT AND CHEESE BOARD

Steps:

• On a large platter or cutting board, arrange fruit, almonds and cheeses. Place honey in a small jar; tuck jar among fruit.

DECADENT CHEESECAKE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Place graham crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Pour into a bowl. Add butter and brown sugar; toss together until mixture resembles wet sand. Place 1 tablespoon in the bottom of each paper liner. Press firmly to form the crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in sour cream and vanilla extract. Divide the mixture evenly over the 18 crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops look dry and centers jiggle slightly, about 15 minutes. Chill until firm, 2 hours to overnight.
• Heat cream in the microwave until it begins to simmer, about 1 minute. Add chocolate chips and let sit until softened, about 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate melts and ganache is glossy.
• Spoon chocolate ganache over each cheesecake and place a whole strawberry on the top.

CHEESECAKE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 16 muffin tin cups with cupcake liners.
• Place 1 cookie in the bottom of each cupcake liner.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour batter over the wafers in the cupcake liners.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and set, about 15 minutes.

CREAMY FROZEN FRUIT CUPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Halve 9 cherries; chop the remaining cherries. Set aside halved cherries and 18 orange segments for garnish. Add the pineapple, pecans and chopped cherries to cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping and remaining oranges. , Line muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Spoon fruit mixture into cups; garnish with reserved cherries and oranges. Freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Top with mint if desired.

CREAMY FROZEN FRUIT CUPS

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
• Halve 9 cherries and chop up the rest.
• Set aside the halved cherries and 18 oranges for garnishment.
• Add pineapple, chopped cherries, and pecans to cream cheese mixture.
• Fold in whipped topping and remaining oranges.
• Line muffin cups with paper or foil cups.
• Sppon fruit mixture into cups and garnish with reserved cherries and oranges.
• Freeze until firm.
• This looks pretty if you add a sprig of mint on each cup.

FRUIT 'N CHEESE SNACK MIX

Steps:

• Place cheese in 1 side of resealable sandwich-size plastic bag; loosely tie pie cleaner or twist tie around middle of bag. Place fruit in other end of bag; seal bag, then twist pipe cleaner tightly to separate cheese from fruit.
• Curl ends of pipe cleaner to resemble antennae of a butterfly.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Untwist pipe cleaner, leaving bag sealed. Gently shake bag to mix fruit and cheese. Open bag and enjoy!