Liptauer Cheese (my mom's recipe):
1 cup salted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon (heaping) caraway seeds
1 tablespoon pickled capers, drained
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
Combine all ingredients in food processor until well blended and the seeds are well chopped. Place in a serving dish with a few whole capers and sprinkle with more paprika. Serve with crackers or pretzels.
If I didn't make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my sister would never speak to me again!
A history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liptau_cheese
I also made a baked brie appetizer- all I did was cover a wheel of brie with a mixture of pecans, brown sugar, and maple syrup, then baked it until the sugar and syrup bubbled. I served it with thin slices of cinnamon-sugar coated toasted French bread.
Last year's recipes:
http://kiraskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/11/for-thanksgiving.html
And finally, my family's favorite pecan pie. I've posted it elsewhere, but it belongs here!
Caramel-Pecan Pie
From Southern Living 2005
Annual RecipesPrep. 20 minutes. Bake: 38 minutes. Cook: 7 minutes.
½ (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
28 caramels
¼ cup butter
¼ cup water
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
Chocolate dipped pecans (optional)
Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork.
Bake pie crust at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on a wire rack.
Combine caramels, butter, and ¼ cup water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramels and butter are melted; remove from heat.
Stir together sugar and the next three ingredients. Stir into caramel mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in pecans and pour into crust.
Bake pie at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°, and bake for 20 more minutes, shielding edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. Remove pie to wire rack to cool. Top pie with Chocolate Dipped pecans, if desired. Serves 8.
Chocolate dipped pecans:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
20 pecan halves, toasted
Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in microwave on high for 1 to 1 and a half minutes or until chips are melted. Dip half of each pecan in chocolate, then place on wax paper to cool.
