Pesto Cheese Spread

© "So Easy, So Delicious"
 
8 oz cream cheese, softened
⅓ to ½ C pesto sauce

Using an electric mixer or food processor, thoroughly blend pesto and cheese together. Serve as a spread for crackers or crudités (raw vegetables). You can also thinly spread it on slices of ham or roast beef and roll them up, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to a day ahead. When ready to serve, remove plastic and cut into ¾-inch slices. Turn on end to resemble pinwheels.

Hint: Pesto spread is also delicious used in place of mayonnaise on roast beef or turkey sandwiches. Another attractive and easy way to serve pesto cheese spread is to place it in mini-filo shells. Before serving shells, defrost. For added crispness, bake at 350° for about 5 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Then, using a pastry bag, or plastic bag which has a corner cut off to resemble a pastry bag, pipe some of the cheese mixture into each filo shell. Serve as is or top with a small piece of red pepper or pimento.

Jann Hagle Cookies

© "From Ellie's Kitchen to Yours"
 
1 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 egg, separated
2 C flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 T water
2¼ oz (1 small pkg) almonds, sliced
1 tsp baking soda

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolk and mix well. Add flour and cinnamon and blend well. Press lightly into a greased 10½"x15½"x1" jellyroll pan. Beat egg white with water and brush over the dough. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Cut immediately into 1½ to 2-inch squares.
Hint: I use a stick of butter and a stick of margarine. These are great cookies to make when you're in a hurry, since it is easier cutting squares than making drop cookies. These keep well in a tin for a few weeks or they may be frozen.