All About Desserts

Made to Vanish
When it comes to holiday baking, it’s often the simplest ingredients and classic recipes that resonate best with everyone. One of which is Quaker’s Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – a family favorite that’s been featured under the lid of the Quaker Old Fashioned Oats canister for 20 years. A kitchen staple for 100 percent whole grain baking needs, the Quaker Oats canister is also celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Find more oats recipes and learn more about the iconic oat canister at quakeroats.com.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Makes: 4 dozen

• 1/2       cup (1 stick) butter, softened, plus 6 tablespoons
  
• 3/4       cup firmly packed brown sugar
  
• 1/2       cup granulated sugar
  
• 2          eggs
  
• 1          teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 1/2    cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1          teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1          teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2       teaspoon salt (optional)
  
• 3          cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
  
• 1          cups raisins

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown.
4. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; move to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

A Holiday Classic Sure to Please
Be sure to remember around the holidays that special can be simple, and recipes do not need to be complex to be guest-worthy. Keep your kitchen stocked with a few key ingredients that can be used in a variety of dishes, such as Philadelphia Cream Cheese, which is perfect in this rich Classic Cheesecake and other desserts, but it also lends a creamy texture to appetizers and main dishes. Find more tips and recipes to make your holiday entertaining sparkle at creamcheese.com.

Classic Cheesecake
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 5 hours, 45 minutes (including refrigerating)
Makes: 16 servings

• 1 1/2    cups graham cracker crumbs
  
• 3          tablespoons sugar
  
• 1/3       cup butter or margarine, melted
  
• 4          packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
  
• 1          cup sugar
  
• 1          teaspoon vanilla
  
• 4          eggs
  
• 1          cup canned cherries

1. Heat oven to 325 F.
2. Mix graham crumbs, sugar and butter; press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each until blended. Pour over crust.
4. Bake 1 hour, or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with canned cherries, if desired.

A Holiday Treat Straight From Your Freezer
For a festive twist to your holiday sweets, look no further than your freezer. Aside from a bright, joyful color, frozen red raspberries’ sweet and tart flavors allow them to complement and enhance a wide range of ingredients. They also boast the most fiber and the lowest natural sugar content compared to other berries. This Raspberry Greek Yogurt Bark is sure to warm your loved ones’ hearts with the taste of the holidays. Find more recipes worth sharing this holiday season at redrazz.org.

Raspberry Greek Yogurt Bark
Recipe courtesy of NourishRDs.com

• 2   cups plain, reduced-fat (2%) Greek yogurt
  
• 1   lemon, zest only
  
• 2   tablespoons honey
  
• 1   cup frozen raspberries
  
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
  
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. Line small baking pan with aluminum foil.
2. In medium bowl, combine first 3 ingredients. Stir until well incorporated.
3. Add berries, pistachios and almonds to mixture. Fold in until well incorporated. Spread mixture in baking pan and place in freezer for about 2-3 hours, or until hardened.
4. Once hardened, remove bark from pan and either cut or break up into pieces. Allow to thaw about 5 minutes before eating.

Notes: Store remaining bark in freezer. You can experiment with any ingredients you have on hand, such as frozen cherries with dark chocolate chunks, frozen blueberries with unsweetened flaked coconut or dried cranberries with pecans.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (people baking)