Friday, December 11, 2020

Cheesy Crackers frm @MaddieDayAuthor #Christmas #giveaways

 MADDIE here, with easy yummy cheesy crackers!


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The holidays are upon us. I know you can tell from our fun seasonal banner! This year the season is going to be very different in terms of gathering indoors. At least here in New England, it's too cold to have distanced cocktail hours with friends in the garden or on the deck as we enjoyed in the summer and fall. 

I've done a bit of decorating indoors, but with a maniac kitten and nobody coming to visit, we're not putting up a tree this year. This nutcracker, on the other hand, one of many pieces of fabric art my late quilter mother made for us, is happily on the wall. 


And we've strung lights up too high even for Ganesh to leap up and pull down.


For those of you who have figured out ways to safely gather, or live with one or more people, you're going to want a fresh recipe for an appetizer to go with those winter cocktails. After my friend Joan brought these cheesy crackers to my garden in September, I demanded the recipe. They are light and tasty and easy to make. And they're a bit different from the
recipe Lucy posted last month.

And, because Christmas is coming, I'll send one commenter a copy of Candy Slain Murder and another a paperback of Christmas Cocoa Murder, which includes my novella, "Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse."




Cheesy Crackers



 Ingredients

2 sticks butter, softened, in half-inch cubes

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, in half-inch cubes

2 c. Rice Krispies

2 c. flour

½ t salt

cayenne pepper or paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet or cover it with parchment paper.

Cream the cheese and butter in a food processor. Stop several times to scrape down the sides.



Add the flour, cereal, and salt, and mix. 

Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into into walnut-sized balls. Flatten with a wet fork on cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with cayenne or paprika. 


Bake for about fifteen minutes until the edges and bottoms are light brown.



If serving to those outside your bubble, use tongs and serve onto a cocktail napkin. Enjoy!

Readers: What's your favorite holiday appetizer or snack?

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My most recent book is Candy Slain Murder, the eighth Country Store mystery. You guessed it, the story takes place at Christmas. As with all my books written as Maddie Day, you'll find easy recipes in the back.




I hope you'll visit Edith Maxwell and me on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

30 comments:

  1. It will be just my husband and I for Christmas and the 3 kitties. I was just this morning asking him if he wanted beef or ham for the Christmas meal. I already ordered dessert, you know priorities right!! It's so hard being away from family and with covid. We will Facetime and watch our granddaughters open their gifts which is fun. Thank you so much for the chance. pgenest57 at aol dot com Paula

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    1. It IS hard. Glad you can see grandkids at least remotely.

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  2. Thank you for the yummy sounding recipe for Cheesy Crackers! I will be trying this - soon.

    One thing we like to make and use as both an appetizer as well as with a meal of sandwiches and chips or just for a snack is Jalapeño Popper Dip. Here is the recipe.

    Ingredients
    1 4 oz can diced jalapenos, well drained OR 4-6 fresh jalapenos, roasted and diced (include seeds if you like it really spicy)
    1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
    1 cup sour cream
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
    Topping
    1 cup Panko bread crumbs
    4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
    ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
    1 tablespoon fresh parsley
    Directions
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    With a mixer on medium, combine cream cheese, garlic powder and sour cream until fluffy.
    Add cheddar cheese, ¾ cup parmesan cheese, and diced jalapenos, mix well.
    Spread into an 8x8 baking dish.
    Combine bread crumbs, melted butter, ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese, and parsley.
    Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cream cheese mixture.
    Bake 15-20 minutes, or until hot and breadcrumbs are golden brown.

    Can't wait for the opportunity to read "Candy Slain Murder". Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected. Thank you for the chance!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  3. My favorite holiday appetizer is my grandmas pimento cheese.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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  4. I live with my son and his family and I take care of my granddaughters daily, so we have all the decorations.
    The crackers sound really good. Merry Christmas!

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  5. Welcome today. Thank you for the recipe. My favorite snacks are: jalepeno poppers (my daughter in law makes the best) and I have always been a huge fan of cut veggies. These books sound wonderful. This is a very generous give a way. Thanks. It is only my husband and I (ok and two kitties now) at home. I NEEDED some cheer and joy. So on November 1st I put up all of our Christmas things and started playing Christmas music. Oh my how that simple yearly thing has helped. Strange but it is like here at home things are still on a normal and I will not let the outside world get me down. I can always trust on my Lord
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  6. All my decorations are up! time to bake some cookies.
    Thanks for the chance!
    Jess
    maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  7. These crackers look great! I love anything with cheese. As for my favorite appetizer, I'd have to say hummus. :)

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  8. These crackers look yummy. Chex mix is always a favorite snack here.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  9. Great minds think alike!
    I saw a version of this in my Sunday paper and have it saved to make. I even bought a box of rice cereal. The version I have calls for making the dough into round logs and slicing them. I like your way better.
    I'm also planning to make some Tom and Jerry drinks to enjoy!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  10. Edith, we call your crackers "Mom's Cheese Wafers". We're all rats for cheese, and I could live on appetizers! That's one of my favorite holiday apps/snacks, along with cheese straws, Shirley Corriher's Rooster's Famous Fire Crackers, Jalapeno Artichoke dip, shrimp or crab dip, guacamole, salsa with shrimp, Parmesan Mustard Chicken Wings, and Dill Dip with veggies. lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Forgot to say I add a pecan half pressed into the Cheese Wafers before baking. Walnuts work, too!

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  11. My mom's seven layer dip or Chex mix. jteastman215atgmaildotcom

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  12. Those crackers look awesome. One of my favorite appetizers is really easy. Put a bit of brown sugar on a club cracker and wrap in bacon and bake in the oven until the bacon is done. Merry Christmas!

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  13. My favorite is the charcuterie board. Since the family gathering is not possible this year, we will be doing a Zoom chat, the same as we did for Thanksgiving.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  14. I enjoy both making and eating gougeres. Plenty of sharp cheese beaten into pate au choux, dropped by teaspoons on parchment, and baked till puffy an golden.

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  15. I like Chex mix or I mix pecans, almonds, and cashews together. 3labsmom@gmail.com

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  16. It's hard or me to pick one holiday appetizer. It's the only time of the year I have pepperoni rounds on my favourite crackers. I also love spinach dip with hunks of bread.

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  17. i like cheese and crackers or the seasoned pretzel mix with chex cereal.. your cheese crackers with the rice krispies look delicious..................hideyhide47@gmai.com

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  18. I am not really big on eating appetizers other than fresh veggies and dip. And, I usually forgo the dip.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  19. Those Chessy Crackers look and sound yummy!I was really surprised that Rice Krispies were in the recipe. My favorite holiday appetizer is Hawaiian Cheese Ball with Ritz Crackers. It has cream cheese, crushed pineapple and green onions in it, and its so good!I'll be with my husband, daughter cat and dog for Christmas but I'm going to see my mom if just by standing in her yard and wishing her a Merry Christmas. Love your Mother's Nutcracker fabric art! Your lights look so cozy! Thank you Edith! oh_bother88@hotmail.com

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  20. An appetizer which is so delectable and which everyone loves is bruschetta. Easy and tasty for the entire family to enjoy. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. I always have hummus in the house because it is a staple which we enjoy. These crackers would be perfect with the hummus. How special and delightful. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  22. These look delicious. I will be making mine gluten free and can't wait. Holiday appetizers? Do butter tarts count??? We are most definitely into more sweet than salty:)
    Love the idea of putting the lights up high, it looks so cheerful.
    Merry Christmas and have a safe and healthy New Year!!!!!

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  23. Those look yummy. Thanks for sharing.

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  24. Our lucky winners are Rogee for Christmas Cocoa Murder and Brenda for Candy Slain Murder! Congratulations to you both. Please check your email. And thanks to all for your yummy snack suggestions!

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