Cheese Trees or Snowman

Pesto, Pine nuts, Kale

Recipe by: Betty Crocker

Serves: 1 Servings

Ingredients:

3 pk (8 oz) cream cheese;
-softened
4 c Cheddar cheese (16 ounces);
-shredded
2 tb Pesto
1 tb Grated onions
1/4 ts Ground mustard
2 dr Red pepper sauce; (up to 3)

Instructions:

-----------------HAVE READY AT SERVING TIME-------------

1/4 c Pine nuts or sliced almonds
2 tb Chopped red bell pepper
Assorted crackers
Kale or Bibb lettuce

Mix cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; divide in half. Mix pesto into 1 half;
mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into other half. Cover each halh and
refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.

Place cheese mixtures on cookie sheet. Shape each half into cone shape to
resemble Christmas tree. Wrap each tree and freeze..Can be stored up to 1
month...

12 hours before serving, remove trees from freezer. Thaw in wrapper in
refrigerator. Just before serving, roll trees in parsley, pressing parsley
evenly onto trees. Press pine nuts onto trees in string form for garland.
Press bell pepper pieces onto trees for ornaments...Top each tree with star
shape cut from lemon peel.... Dress up the trees with a tree skirt using
kale or Bibb lettuce.

For Snowman: Omit parsley,pine nuts and bell pepper. Mix cheeses together
and divide into 3 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds pf
mixture; mix in pesto. Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining
one-third mixture. Refrigerate as directed. Shape each cheese mixture into
ball; roll in 1/3 cup finely chopped blanched almonds. Wrap each ball and
freeze.

12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers.
Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of
snowman, flatten slightly. Insert pretzel sticks for arms. Decorate as
desired with sliced olives, capers, chopped bell peppers,ect...

NOTES : Makes 2 trees or 1 snowman....