Ree Drummond is one of my very favorite people. If you’re not following her site, The Pioneer Woman, you really should be. She is one of those rare bloggers who brings a smile to my face every time I read her posts. Ree has provided a lot of inspiration and guidance to me over the years. Not only is she a fantastic food blogger, she has her own show on Food Network. On top of all that she’s a really, really nice person. I was thrilled when her new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks – A Year of Holidays, showed up on my doorstep. I’ve been waiting for this one, and it did not disappoint! Ree has taken the concept of a seasonal holiday cookbook to the next level, laying out her recipes with step-by-step photos (like I do!) so anybody can get great results.
Though it’s called A Year of Holidays, Ree wrote this cookbook with the goal of sharing recipes that can be enjoyed year-round. Here are some of my favorite things about this fabulous book:
– The pictures. Ree’s food photography is GORGEOUS. Her pictures make my mouth water. She’s one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to blogging and food photography. Check out this book and you’ll understand why.
– Ree’s writing. One of the reasons Ree has such a big (huge, ginormous!) following on her blog The Pioneer Woman is her ability to tell a story. Her writing is fun, funny, and personal. Reading through this cookbook feels like chatting over the kitchen table with an old friend.
– Game plans. Ree has provided full menus for various holidays… no Jewish holidays, but I did love her inclusion of unofficial holidays like “The Big Game” for football season. She’s also given do-ahead tips for each menu, so you can easily make an entire feast without stressing too much on the day you’re serving.
– Recipes by Category index. This book is organized by holiday, naturally, but it also includes a helpful index that you can use year-round to find the exact recipe you’re looking for, whether you’re celebrating or simply cooking weeknight dinner for the family.
I wanted to make a recipe and share it with you so you could get a “taste” of the cookbook. There were many tempting options, but I eventually settled on Cherry Cheesecake Shooters. A cheesecake-like dessert that takes a grand total of 15 minutes (minus the chilling) to assemble? Sign me up! Ree makes these treats as small “shooter”-style desserts in shot glasses or mini wine glasses; she offers a variety of shooter recipes in the book so you can effectively create a dessert “tasting,” sampling many different flavors. I liked these cheesecake shooters so much that I ended up making larger portions using brandy glasses, which were just right for a full-size dessert. Though they’re called shooters, the alcohol is optional here if you want to omit it. I personally loved the flavor of the whiskey with the cherries, it gave this dessert such a nice wintery feel. It would be perfect for a holiday gathering, or maybe New Year’s day!
This book would make a terrific gift for anybody on your list who likes to cook for the holidays. It’s not a kosher cookbook (lotsa bacon here!), but it is a fantastic collection of tried-and-true recipes from Ree’s kitchen to yours. Buy a copy of A Year of Holidays here and make somebody on your holiday list very, very happy.
As a special holiday treat, Ree has offered to give away three signed copies of her new cookbook to my readers! Simply leave me a comment here on this post, or on the post link on Facebook, for a chance to enter. Contest is open until Monday December 23 at 5:00pm Pacific. Three winners will be chosen at random from the comments section and announced next week.
Meanwhile, enjoy this Cherry Cheesecake Shooters recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks – A Year of Holidays by Ree Drummond!
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CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to MaryBess Boudreau, Cathy Carruthers and Pam Siege, winners of the Pioneer Woman signed cookbook giveaway! To those who didn’t win, don’t worry… I’ve got lots of new giveaways coming up in 2014. Stay tuned!
Cherry Cheesecake Shooters
Ingredients
- 24 ounces frozen pitted sweet cherries (2 12-oz bags)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup whiskey (optional)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 blocks)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- 12 graham crackers
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
NOTES
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, honey and whiskey over medium heat and mix to combine.
- Add the butter and continue cooking until the cherries are hot and bubbly.
- In a separate dish, whisk together the cornstarch and lemon juice. Add cornstarch mixture to the cherries and cook for 2 additional minutes, stirring until the mixture is nice and thick.
- Remove from heat and transfer the cherries to a bowl. Refrigerate until they’re totally chilled and thick.
- In a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and condensed milk until fluffy.Place the mixture into a pastry bag or plastic zipper bag with a medium hole snipped off the end. Store in a bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use.Place the graham crackers into a large storage bag and crush them into fine crumbs.
To assemble:
- Spoon a large helping of the crumbs into the bottom of a miniature wine glass or shot glass.
- Squeeze in 2-3 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture.
- Then spoon in 1-2 tbsp of the cherry mixture.
- Top with a few of the slivered almonds and repeat until all of the ingredients have been used.
Nutrition
Sign me up! These shooters look amazing and id love to see ideas of others!
I’m a big fan of Ree Drummond and watch her on the Food Channel. Her recipes are tasty, practical, and pleasing to the eye. Thanks for sharing her bounty.
Am so enjoying both your blogs! Ree is great. What a wonderful Christmas gift her cookbook would be. Thanks to you both.
Will try with gluten free cookies crumbled on bottom and toasting those almonds.
I am looking forward to making this recipe for New Years Day!
The presentation alone has that “WOW” factor. Thank you for sharing. Will look for The Pioneer Woman cooking show on TV. Thank You.
The cherry cheese cake shooters look so festive. Wish I had this recipe a week ago to share with my neighborhood ladies’ coffee that takes place once a month. Recipe is a saver. I
Love Ree, cherries & cheesecake….wow, what a combination….:)
oh those do look yummy
First of all, thank you for all the wonderful recipes you post; so many of them I pass along to friends and even forward your emails so that they can subscribe also.
I would be so honored to receive a signed copy of Ree’s new cookbook. Keep all those wonderful recipes coming and thanks for what you do for all of us.
Love both her recipes and yours!
This looks fantastic! I would love to win one of the cookbooks!
I have Rees 2nd cookbook and I love it and use it all the time. I really want a. copy of her 1&3 cookbook.
I love Ree and her cookbooks. I have 3 cookbooks…her first two and one that was suppose to help fight cancer (diagnosed in 2006 with ovarian cancer at age 24..came back 2012…) I never made one recipe from the cancer cook book but religiously make Ree’s lasagna and red pepper vodka sauce penne. I love the blackberry cobbler too…I would love to have her new cookbook. I love surrounding myself with friends and family and cooking them am awesome dish.
Just got an awesome kitchen aide artisan mixer for Christmas. Would love to have this cookbook to pair with my mixer!!!
Love PW and her recipes! I have the other two cookbooks 🙂
what a pleasant surprise…finding you AND the recipe…Both are great! Beautiful dish especially for the holidays.
Hoping to win a copy of Lees cookbook (The Pioneer Woman). I need all the help I can possibly get! Seriously!!
Would love to win a copy for my daughter!
I love Ree and watch her show each week and love all her cookbooks. This new one is on my Christmas wish list but so far not looking like Santa is going to bring it, so maybe I can win it!
Would love a signed copy!! Thank you 🙂
Merry Christmas