Holiday Home Cooking

This week Blendtec has a special treat for you. Instead of just posting one recipe, we're posting five! These are our top picks for recipes that will let you show off your home cooking for holiday parties. The best part is that these impressive recipes are easy to make in your blender. Get ready to wow your guests! And you thought the festive season couldn't get any more delicious.

Best Brownies Step out of the box, and give this recipe a try. These rich, fudgy brownies are irresistible. ¾ c butter, melted ⅔ c semisweet chocolate chips 3 large eggs ½ c cocoa powder 1½ c granulated sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract ⅞ c all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Add butter and chocolate chips to WildSide+ jar. Secure lid and select "Batters." Add eggs, cocoa, sugar and vanilla to jar and secure lid. Press "Pulse" 3–5 times. Add flour and secure lid. Pulse 3–5 times, and use spatula to scrape down sides of  jar as needed. Pour batter into greased 9" x 9" or 11" x 7" pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Nutritional Information   Gingerbread Waffles These gingerbread waffles are filled with spices synonymous with the season and are great topped with caramelized apples and fresh whipped cream! 1 c low-fat milk 2 tbsp granulated sugar 3 tbsp butter, melted ¼ c unsulphured molasses 2 large eggs 1½ c all-purpose flour 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground ginger ¾ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg Add ingredients to WildSide+ jar or FourSide jar in order listed and secure lid.  Select “Batters”; allow batter to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat and grease waffle iron. Pour appropriate amount of batter onto waffle iron, and cook until done. Repeat with remaining batter. Yields approximately 5 waffles. To keep the first few waffles warm while the rest of the batch cooks, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet inside a 200°F oven. For a whole-grain version, substitute all-purpose flour for whole-grain spelt flour. Nutritional Information   Popovers This American version of Yorkshire pudding can be served with marmalade and fresh fruit at breakfast. Or add some grated cheese and herbs for a more savory dish at lunch or dinner. Remember to heat the pan before pouring the batter. Once the popovers are in the oven, no peeking. 1¼ c milk 3 large eggs ½ tsp kosher salt 1 tbsp butter, melted 1¼ c all-purpose flour 2 tbsp butter, cut into 6 even pieces Preheat oven to 400°F, and grease popover pan. Add all ingredients except butter to WildSide+ jar or FourSide jar in order listed and secure lid. Select "Batters." Preheat popover pan in oven for 2 minutes. Remove pan, place 1 piece of butter in each cup and place pan back in oven until butter is melted. Remove pan and fill each cup ½ full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300°F, and continue baking for 12–15 minutes. Nutritional Information   Pumpkin Cheesecake Make your holiday feast complete with a spin on the traditional pumpkin pie. Your guests won’t believe this delicious pie is a reduced-calorie dessert. Crust: 40 gingersnap cookies ½ c toasted walnuts, cooled completely ¼ c butter, melted 2 tbsp water 2 tsp ground cinnamon Filling: ¾ c pumpkin puree 3 eggs 2 (8 oz) pkgs Neufchâtel cheese, softened 1 (8 oz) pkg fat-free cream cheese, softened 1 c granulated sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract ½ tsp kosher or sea salt 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven to 325⁰F. Use 1–2 large pieces of aluminum foil to cover bottom and sides of 9" springform pan. This technique reduces leaks when using a water bath. Add gingersnap cookies and walnuts to WildSide+ jar and secure lid. Select Speed 1 for 5 seconds, and then press "Pulse" to stop. Add remaining crust ingredients to jar and secure lid. Select Speed 1 for 7–10 seconds, and then press Pulse to stop. Press crust evenly into springform pan along bottom and 1" up sides. In clean WildSide+ jar, add filling ingredients in order listed and secure lid. Select “Batters.” Pour filling over crust. Make a water bath by placing springform pan inside larger pan that is 2–3" deep. Pour approximately 1" boiling water into pan. Carefully place pan in oven, and bake for 90 minutes. The center of the cheesecake will still jiggle but will complete cooking during cooling process. Cool cheesecake completely, and then place in refrigerator until sufficiently chilled, about 10–12 hours. Serve with your favorite whipped cream or caramel topping. Nutritional Information   Raw Cranberry Sauce Cranberries show their festive hue in October through December. This tart and tangy berry is an excellent source of vitamin C and antioxidants. For a little crunch, sprinkle some chopped walnuts on this sauce. ½ c freshly squeezed orange juice 1 orange, peeled and broken in half 1 apple, cored and quartered 1 c Medjool dates, approximately 8–10, pitted 2 c fresh cranberries Add ingredients to WildSide+ jar, FourSide jar or Twister jar in order listed and secure lid. Press "Speed Up" to Speed 1 for 10 seconds, and then increase to Speed 5 for 35 seconds; press "Pulse" to stop. For a less-sweet sauce, use prunes in place of dates. Nutritional Information

If you would like to read more holiday ideas then we encourage you to read 8 Nontraditional Ways to Maintain Holiday Traditions.