Joanne Fluke Quote

CREAM CHEESE PUFFS Hannah’s Note: If you’re not going to serve these right away, you can mix up the cream cheese part and refrigerate it until it’s time to spread it on the crackers.   8-ounce package cream cheese (the firm kind, not the whipped) 2 Tablespoons ( 1/8 cup) mayonnaise (We used Hellmann’s***) 3 Tablespoons minced green onion OR 3 Tablespoons minced dried onion OR 3 Tablespoons minced shallots 1 beaten egg   A box of salted crackers (We used Ritz Crackers and they were great!)   Unwrap the cream cheese and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. Nuke it on HIGH for 30 seconds, or until it begins to soften.   Mix in the mayonnaise and stir until the mixture is smooth.   Mix in the onion. (If you use green onion instead of shallots or dried onion, you can use up to one inch of the stem.)   Mix in the beaten egg.   Lay out the crackers on a broiler pan, salt side up. (We used a disposable broiler pan so we could trash it at Granny’s Attic and we wouldn’t have to carry it back to The Cookie Jar.)   Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cracker in a circle that reaches the edges. Mound it slightly in the center. Use about two teaspoons of cheese mixture per cracker.   Position the rack approximately three inches below the coil of the broiler and turn it on HIGH. Broil the crackers (with the oven door open to the first latch so the broiler doesn’t kick on and off) until the cream cheese puffs up and is just starting to turn golden. This should take about 90 seconds if the rack is correctly positioned.   Let cool for a minute or two, so your guests won’t burn their tongues. Transfer the Cream Cheese Puffs to a platter and serve.   Yield: Approximately 2 dozen hot and yummy hors d’oeuvres.