Help me impress my parents with a dessert (or appetizer)!!

[amg35]

As the youngest child of 5, I'm the family joke when it comes to cooking. So this Thanksgiving I would like to bring something and surprise everyone! (dessert or appetizer)

Requirements:

Needs to be able to be made the day before

I don't have a lot of cookware - no Cuisinart or special pans etc...

No allergies, so all ingredients are fine

Must be more than just a pan of box mix brownies or chips and dip!

thanks in advance!

 

[mickeyboat]

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

(Really easy, really yummy - not gourmet)

4 oz. cream cheese softened
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 graham cracker crust
1 can Lucky Leaf lemon pie filling

Beat first 4 ingredients until thick and smooth. Pour into pie crust. Top with canned pie filling. Refrigerate.

I have also made this with other flavored pie fillings, but lemon is the best.

 

[luvmythree]

I just made this last weekend and it was a HUGE hit!!

Raspberry Dessert

Crust:
2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Butter
1/2 C. chopped nuts

*Mix all the ingredients together. Once they are mixed well press them onto a cookie sheet. Make sure the entire sheet is covered with the mixture and then bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Once it is baked cut the sheet in half width wise so you have 2 even sized halves.


Filling:
1 8 oz Cream cheese *softened*
1 C Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Pkg Dream Whip *follow the directions on the box to make the dream whip*

*Basically put the dream whip, milk and vanilla into a bowl to blend. Once its blended well add the rest of the ingredients and blend for a bit longer.*


Now take 1/2 of the crust and put it on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread the cream cheese/dream whip mixture on top of the crust. Put the other crust on top of the cream cheese mixture and then do the topping


Topping:
1 pkg Danish Dessert Raspberry *usually by the jello in the grocery store*
(prepare the Danish Dessert using 1 1/4 c. water) Once that is made add 1 pkg of frozen *but thawed* raspberries. Then top the crust with the raspberry mixture and voila.....dessert that is really rich and yummy.

 

[DLB]

Death by chocolate

Bake a chocolate cake as per directions on box

In a glass bowl layer the following

1. Baked cake all crumpled up into pieces
2. Chocolate pudding as per directions on box
3. Cool whip
4. Mini chocolate chips or Heath bars crumpled up ( or both)
5. Chocolate sauce and/or caramel sauce
Repeat leaving the cool whip as the last layer.

Always a hit!!!!

 

[IDoDis]

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

This is sooooo good, very easy to make, and looks impressive. Click on link see what the finished product looks like

http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view/not_yo_mamas_banana_pudding/

Ingredients:

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 bananas, sliced

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cup milk
1 5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding (regular vanilla pudding works fine, too)
1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip


Directions:

Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

 

[Christine]

Something that is VERY impressive and super easy is a true, nice thick cheesecake. You will, however, need to go out and buy a springform pan but they aren't expensive and are easy enough to find. It is pretty hard to mess up and people will think you've slaved for hours on it.

If you are interested, I will post the recipe I use.

Otherwise, if your family are good cooks themselves, try to stay away from anything that involves Cool Whip or pudding mix. While these desserts are easy and sound good, they are often kind of disappointing to people who are good dessert makers.

 

[amg35]

Something that is VERY impressive and super easy is a true, nice thick cheesecake. You will, however, need to go out and buy a springform pan but they aren't expensive and are easy enough to find. It is pretty hard to mess up and people will think you've slaved for hours on it.

If you are interested, I will post the recipe I use.

Otherwise, if your family are good cooks themselves, try to stay away from anything that involves Cool Whip or pudding mix. While these desserts are easy and sound good, they are often kind of disappointing to people who are good dessert makers.

Yes, please post the recipe, I can buy a pan! My family are good cooks, but they will be so surprised I brought something, anything will be good. But I want it to be really good.

thanks everyone, everything looks good! Maybe I'll try a few beforehand...

 

[golfgal]

We are making this:

http://www.schwans.com/holiday

 

[Christine]

Here you go. This is really quite easy and never fails to wow people. They think it's really hard.
6 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, crushed (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
5 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
4 eggs

Heat oven to 325 degrees and use a 9-inch springform pan.

Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan and a little bit up the sides. Bake 10 min. *** Don't fret if you feel like you don't have enough. Just mix up a second batch and continue. I often double mine because I like a thicker crust on my cheesecake.


MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min.



Bake 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim.

**My notes*** In order to prevent cracking that can sometimes occur, I cook my cheesecake in a water bath. Just get a big roasting pan and fill it up with boiling water (about a 1/2 inch). Cover the entire outside of your springform pan with a few layers of heavy duty foil. Place pan in water and place the whole thing in the oven. Cook as directed. You may have to cook an extra 10 minutes with the waterbath method but I often find it not necessary. The moisture helps stop any cracking also makes a moister cheesecake but it is totally not necessary.

Also, there are tons of recipes on the internet for fruit toppings that are simple to serve over cheesecake. We all prefer ours plain but the topping is often really enjoyed by others.

 

[MJMouse]

Trifle... lots of varieties out there, but this is one of my favorites.

It looks best in a trifle bowl (can be found at most kitchen stores... think I paid $8 for mine), but you can use any pretty glass bowl that is big enough to hold the ingredients.

1 Angel Food Cake (or Pound cake in tube pan)
1 tub Cool Whip (I use the light variety)
1 pkg White Chocolate Pudding (I use ff/sf)
2 cups milk (skim)
1 bar white chocolate (use a good brand... Ghardelli is delish)
Berries
Raspberry or Blackberry Jam
Triple Sec (Optional... Grand Marnier or other liquor will work too)

1 day (or at least 2 hours) before you assemble, mix the milk, pudding, and cool whip together by hand and refrigerate.

Cube Cake (or tear into pieces).

Chop chocolate into small pieces. Reserve about 2 tbsp.

Microwave half jar of jam until melted and smooth. Mix with a little Triple Sec for flavor.

Layer cake, raspberry mixture, berries, chocolate, and cool whip mixture. Make sure to end with cool whip. Decorate with berries and reserved chocolate.

The great thing about this recipe is you can bake the cake or buy from the store... always looks amazing! Also... in my opinion the cool whip and pudding doesn't seem like cool whip and pudding when you use the white chocolate version.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Will you be able to cook right before serving? One of my absolute favorite, always a hit and so easy to make appetizers is:

1 bag Lil Smokies Cocktail Links
1 pack of bacon
1 lb of brown sugar

Cut the bacon in thirds. Wrap one third around each link and secure with a toothpick, pushing it just to the bottom of the link so you have a "handle" sticking up. Place in a pan with the toothpicks up, it is okay to crowd them-- I like a disposable foil pan because these are messy and clean up is easy if you just throw it away. Cover with the brown sugar,and refrigerate overnight. Before serving bake at 325 for about 45 mins. Keep warm so the sauce remains liquid.

Here is a good visual recipe for this, although it uses a lot less brown sugar than I do. I like how it turns out with a lot of brown sugar--lots more sauce that way. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/12/bacon-wrapped-cocktail-sausages.html

 

[RUDisney]

An appetizer that everyone usually likes is asparagus with boursin cheese wrapped in roast beef.

Cook the asparagus until it is crisp tender and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the asparagus onto a strip of good quality roast beef lunchmeat. Add a dollup of boursin to it and roll it up.

Serve cold.

I've also used prosciutto instead of roast beef, but I like the RB better.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Cheesecake Cupcakes

NGREDIENTS:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces sour cream
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar. Stir in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla. Spoon into cupcake pans to fill about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. To make the sour cream topping, whisk together the sour cream, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Spoon into the well on the top of each cupcake.
5. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until set. Set cupcake pans on racks to cool, do not remove cupcakes from the pan until they are completely cool. For a finishing touch, you can add a dollop of your favorite pie filling on top.

 

[DLB]

Something that is VERY impressive and super easy is a true, nice thick cheesecake. You will, however, need to go out and buy a springform pan but they aren't expensive and are easy enough to find. It is pretty hard to mess up and people will think you've slaved for hours on it.

If you are interested, I will post the recipe I use.

Otherwise, if your family are good cooks themselves, try to stay away from anything that involves Cool Whip or pudding mix. While these desserts are easy and sound good, they are often kind of disappointing to people who are good dessert makers.

Ouch!!! Thanks for slamming my suggestion!

 

[Christine]

Ouch!!! Thanks for slamming my suggestion!

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend those who love instant pudding and Cool Whip desserts! I've definitely done my share of making and eating all of those types of desserts. They are fine and, in some cases, very good but they don't fall under my definition of something that would impress.

I've eaten both Death by Chocolate, Not Yo' Momma's Banana Pudding, as well as Banana Split Cake, and a variety of others that use pudding and Cool Whip. They do well at pot lucks and bring-to-the-office treats but, IMO (and it's only my opinion and that of most of my circle of friends), I think they all sort of have the same taste/consistency and don't really impress someone who is a foodie.

 

[bcvprincesses]

My vote would be for Libby's Pumpkin Roll. Looks impressive and tastes great.

Here is a link. http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/32372/LIBBYS-Pumpkin-Roll/detail.aspx

Here is a video on how to make it. http://videos.tasteofhome.com/video/Pumpkin-Roll

It is very easy to make and the video really helps. I don't add nuts to ours since many people in our family don't like nuts. This is always the first dessert gone on Thanksgiving.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Otherwise, if your family are good cooks themselves, try to stay away from anything that involves Cool Whip or pudding mix. While these desserts are easy and sound good, they are often kind of disappointing to people who are good dessert makers.

I'm an excellent baker and I love desserts with pudding mix and Cool Whip. Death By Chocolate trifle (we call it Cake In a Bucket) is one of my favorite things ever.

And honestly, if you're going to try to make something that you've never made before and your family winds up being disappointed in the end product... next time I wouldn't bother.

 

[RUDisney]

this is so elegant and people will think you went all out for this appetizer. AND SOOOOOOOOO EASY

Its Crabmeat mousse...

2 cans of crabmeat drained...does not have to be expensive
1 can cream of mushroom soup...campbells
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese softened...
1 finely chopped onion
1 cup or less diced celery
1 cup of mayo...has to be mayo
2 and 1/2 tablespoons actually 2 and 1/2 envelopes unflavored knox gelatin
dissolved in 1/2 cup of water

combine everything except the geletin...and heat on stove......while still warm stir in the gelatin mixture and remove from the heat.
Pour in a 5 1/2 cup mold...I use a fish and sometimes I use a jello mold..and refrigerate......
when you want to take it out put the bottom of the mold in some warm water to loosen it and voila......it comes out on the platter.
Now this is where it gets fancy. Get some really good crackers and arrange around the mousse when you are ready to serve it.
Your guests will really love this appetizer...

Ooh, this holds the winning seat in the "what should I take to my Mom's house on Christmas Eve" contest. It sounds delicious and it's meatless!

 

[Pooh67_68]

From Paula Dean... Big hit with my family
---------------------------------------

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms En Croute

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup herb flavored cheese (recommended: Boursin)
* 1/2 cup finely minced crabmeat (may use imitation)
* 18 uniform sized mushrooms, stem removed
* 1 box phyllo pastry (will need at least 18 sheets)
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1 egg, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine cheese and crab in a small bowl. Divide crab mixture among the upside-down mushroom caps, stuffing the mushrooms. Carefully lay 6 sheets of phyllo dough on top of one another, brushing every other sheet with melted butter. Cut phyllo lengthwise down the center and then cut each half into 3 pieces to make 6 rectangles. Place a mushroom, cheese side up, in the center of each square. Season with salt and pepper. Lift sides of pastry over mushrooms to resemble small bundles and form a "neck," pinching edges together to seal. Repeat the entire procedure 2 more times.

Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Bake for about 15 minutes until pastry is crisp and golden. Serve hot.

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

There's an award winning apple crumble recipe on bettycrocker.com that I tried (I very new to baking anything that doesn't come from a box), made with apples and an oatmeal cookie packet mix (and a few other ingredients) that turned out fantastic, and very easy!! Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! YUMMM!!!