CHERRY-CHICKEN SALAD CROISSANTS

“I love cherries and happened to come across this recipe one day. It’s a real hit with my family, and a friend’s husband even took it to work to share with the office staff.” — Martha Goodrich, Wilmington, Delaware Meat exporters

Quick

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 15 min. 
MAKES: 7 servings

• 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 2/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup chopped tart apple
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 7 croissants, split

Nutritional Facts
1 sandwich equals 481 calories, 30 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 71 mg cholesterol, 710 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 16 g protein.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cherries, celery, apple and pecans. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt and pepper; add to chicken mixture and mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken salad onto each croissant. Boneless
Yield: 7 servings

Almond Joy Cheesecake Bars

Almond Joy Cheesecake Bars

Crust

• 23 Oreo cookies (whole cookies including icing)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

Cheesecake

• 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

Topping

• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup packed shredded sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup shaved almonds and/or 1/4 cup whole almonds 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line an 8x8 inch pan with foil and lightly grease the foil. Set aside. Meat

In a blender or food processor pulse cookies until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter and pulse a few times until crumbs are moistened from the butter. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press crumbs into the bottom of the pan to form an even crust. Bake for 10 minutes.

Mix egg, sugar, and vanilla until light and foamy. Add cream cheese and mix until smooth. Poor over baked crust. Return to oven for about 20 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

In a medium sauce pan combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture and spread remaining over cooled cheesecake. Top with shredded coconut and almonds and drizzle reserved melted chocolate over the top. 

Chill until completely cold throughout, cut into squares with a sharp knife and serve.

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake

[Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake Pastry by Chef Melissa Buiskool-Leeuwma of Baked Expectations]

Pastry Chef Melissa Buiskool-Leeuwma, Baked Expectations

Start this creative project by baking your favorite chocolate cake, making enough to produce 3-9? rounds. Meat

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups cream
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 2 cups strawberries, quartered
• 2 Tbsp strawberry preserves or strawberry jam
• 4 whole strawberries for garnish
• 20 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on high speed to beat cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, beat strawberries and preserves together on medium speed for about 1 min.
3. Using a spatula, gently fold berries into whipped cream mixture.
4. In a double boiler, melt chocolate over low heat.
5. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper, making sure the sheets are long enough to easily wrap around the chocolate cake, while leaving a bit of overlap.
6. Lay parchment sheets on bottom of 2 cookie sheets and spread chocolate on both sheets. Tap sheets gently on counter to spread evenly.
7. Chill in fridge until chocolate hardens. Frozen meat exporters
8. Preheat oven to 250?F.

Assembly

1. Spread 1/3 of the strawberry mousse on bottom layer of chocolate cake round.
2. Place second chocolate layer on top. Spread with 1/3 of the mousse.
3. Top with final layer.
4. Remove 1 chocolate sheet from fridge and flash heat in the oven for 3 to 5 secs.
5. Carefully lift warm chocolate from cookie sheet and wrap around assembled cake and mousse layers.
6. Place cake in fridge until chocolate hardens and then remove parchment paper.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 with remaining chocolate sheet.
8. Top cake with remaining mousse and decorate with strawberries. Buffalo meat