#1789 - Black Bottom Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Batter: 3 cups flour; 3 cups white sugar; 1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa; 1 tsp. salt; 2 tsp. baking soda; 2 cups water; 1 cup canola oil; 2 TBSP cider vinegar; 2 tsp. vanilla
Filling: 1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 1 egg; 1/3 cup white sugar; 1/8 tsp. salt; 1 - 6oz. bag Nestle's mini chocolate chips

In a mixer add 3 cups white sugar, cocoa, salt and canola oil--beat. Add vinegar, vanilla and water--beat. Add baking soda--beat. Slowly add flour--beat, then set aside. In a mixer add cream cheese, egg and 1/3 cup white sugar--beat. Add salt--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add mini chocolate chips, then stir until mixed using a spoon. Grease a bundt cake pan. Pour all of the batter into greased pan. Spoon the filling mixture and drop it into the batter--drop each spoonful into the middle of the batter, then continue around in a circle so all of the cake gets filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool for 20 minutes, then invert it on to a cake plate.

#594 - Blueberry Jell-O Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 6oz. box black cherry Jell-O
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 - 16oz. can Dole crushed pineapple (drained)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 - 16oz. sour cream
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 cup chopped pecans (toasted)

Prepare Jell-O according to box directions. When Jell-O is cool to the touch, refrigerate about 90 minutes or until it starts to gel. Remove from refrigerator and add blueberries and drained crushed pineapple--stir to mix. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9" glass baking dish. Refrigerate overnight. The next day use a greased cookie sheet with a lip--spread chopped pecans evenly in a single layer on the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow them to cool--set aside. After pecans are cooled use a mixer--add white sugar, cream cheese--beat. Add sour cream--beat. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cold Jell-O mixture in the baking dish. After pecans are cooled, sprinkle them over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Keep refrigerated.

#589 - Cherry Orange Delight

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2 cups boiling water
3 - 4oz. boxes cherry Jell-O
2 3/4 cups cool tap water
1 - 11oz. OR 15oz. Dole mandarin oranges (drained)
4oz. softened Philly cream cheese (1/2 of an 8oz. package)
2 TBSP white sugar
1 - 8oz. thawed Cool Whip

In a bowl add all of the Jell-O mixes--add the boiling water and stir until dissolved (about 2 minutes). Add cool tap water and stir another minute or two. When the mixture is cool to the touch refrigerate it until it starts to gel. Open mandarin oranges--drain. Set a few of the mandarin oranges aside for a topping garnish later. Remove Jell-O mixture from refrigerator and add the mandarin oranges--stir gently and set aside. In a mixer, beat the cream cheese and white sugar--add the Cool Whip to the cream cheese mixture and beat until mixed. Spoon cream cheese mixture on to the bottom of an 8 x 8 glass or Pyrex baking dish--smooth it out so it's evenly distributed on the bottom of the dish. Pour the Jell-O mixture over the top of the cream cheese and smooth it out. Refrigerate until firm--add the saved mandarin oranges to the top as a garnish. Keep refrigerated.

#568 - Cream Cheese Cupcakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese (softened)
1 1/4 cup white sugar
5 eggs
1 3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Breakstone's sour cream
2 TBSP any flavor jam (strawberry, raspberry, etc.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners (about 24). In a mixer add cream cheese, 1 cup of the white sugar and the eggs--beat. Add 1 1/2 tsp. of the vanilla--beat. Pour batter into cupcake liners to about 2/3 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. While baking, prepare the topping: in a bowl using a spoon mix the sour cream, 1/4 cup of the white sugar, and 1/4 tsp. of the vanilla--stir well. Remove cupcakes from the oven--the centers of the cupcakes will have fallen. Fill each center with the sour cream topping and put 1/4 tsp. of jam of the top center of each cupcake. Return to oven and bake for 5 more minutes at the same temperature.

#550 - Raspberry Muffins

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 egg whites
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup apple juice
1/2 cup All Bran cereal
1 tsp. vanilla
1 2/3 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
Glaze: 1/2 cup Domino's powdered sugar, 4oz. softened Philly cream cheese, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 3 TBSP orange juice

In a mixer beat egg whites until fluffy--add white sugar and beat until stiff. Add Bisquick, buttermilk, apple juice, All Bran, and vanilla--beat on medium until mixed. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the raspberries. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and fill each 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. While they're baking, in a mixer add powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and orange juice--beat. Remove muffins from pans, cool about 30 minutes, then drizzle with the glaze.

#548 - Blackberry Dessert

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 2 sticks butter, 1 1/2 cups flour
Filling: 8oz. softened Philly cream cheese, 1 cup Domino's powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk
Topping: 1 3/4 cups white sugar, 1/2 cup cold water, 4 cups blackberries, 6 TBSP cornstarch, 12oz. Cool Whip

Melt butter and mix with flour in a bowl--use your hands or a fork. Press crust mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan (just on the bottom). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes--let cool completely. In a mixer add cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk--beat until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over cooled crust and spread evenly. In a cup mix the cornstarch with a little of the water so it doesn't get lumpy. In a saucepan add cornstarch/water mixture, the rest of the water, white sugar, and blackberries. Turn stovetop on medium heat, bring mixture to a boil while stirring softly--once boiling cook mixture for 3 minutes (it will be thick). Remove from burner and cool completely. Once cooled pour blackberry mixture over the top of the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then spread Cool Whip evenly over the top. Refrigerate overnight.

#546 - Cheese Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. softened Philly cream cheese
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 - 4oz. thawed Cool Whip
1 Keebler ready-made graham cracker crust
fresh fruit--your choice

In a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add white sugar--beat. Add vanilla--beat. Remove bowl from mixer. Add sour cream and stir with a spoon. Add Cool Whip and stir until mixed. Pour batter into the graham cracker crust--chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours. Top with slices of your favorite fresh fruit.

#540 - Cream Cheese Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

4oz. German sweet chocolate (Baker's Brand)
2 TBSP butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 - 3oz. Philly cream cheese (softened)

In a small saucepan on low heat, melt chocolate and butter while stirring. In a large bowl beat 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla--add 3/4 cup of the white sugar and beat with a spoon until batter is thick. In a separate bowl add flour, baking powder and salt--mix with a spoon. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat well--add the chocolate mixture in next and stir well. In a separate bowl beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup white sugar until creamy--add 1 egg to the cream cheese and 1/2 tsp. vanilla--beat well. Pour half of the chocolate batter into a greased 8 x 8 x 2 baking dish. Spread cheese mixture as the second layer. Add the rest of the chocolate mixture as the top layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Do not overbake.

#535 - Vanilla Pudding Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup water
Frosting: 1 - 3oz. box Jell-O vanilla instant pudding, 1 cup milk, 1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese, 1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed), 1 - 20oz. can Dole crushed pineapple (well drained)

In a mixer add cake mix, first box of pudding mix, eggs, canola oil and water - beat well. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 x 2 greased cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool the cake. In a mixer add second box of pudding mix, milk, cream cheese --beat. Remove from mixer and fold in Cool Whip and crushed pineapple--frost the cake.

#530 - Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup melted Parkay margarine
Batter: 2 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 3 eggs, 1 cup Libby's canned pumpkin, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

In a bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and melted Parkay--press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan. In a mixer add cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the white sugar, vanilla, and eggs--beat. Take out 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture and reserve it. Add the pumpkin, remaining 1/4 cup white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixer with the cream cheese batter--beat well. Pour half of the pumpkin/cream cheese mixture into the graham cracker crust. Pour 1/2 of the reserved cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin batter. Pour remaining pumpkin mixture on next. Drizzle the remaining reserved cream cheese mixture on top. Use a table knife to swirl the whole batter so it has a marble effect. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Cool on counter, then refrigerate well before serving. Keep refrigerated.

#529 - Pumpkin Cake Roll

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup Libby's canned pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts
Filling: 1 cup Domino's powdered sugar, 1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese (room temperature), 4 TBSP butter, 1 tsp. vanilla

In a mixer, beat the eggs on high speed for 5 minutes. Add the white sugar and beat. Add pumpkin and lemon juice--beat. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt. Remove bowl from mixer and add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture--stir with a wooden spoon. Grease and flour a 10 x 15 x 1 inch deep jelly roll pan/sheet cake pan. Pour the pumpkin batter evenly into the pan. Smooth out the batter. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Lay a dish towel on the counter and sprinkle it with some extra powdered sugar. Remove cake from oven, turn the pan upside down so the cake falls onto the towel--do it quickly. Start at the narrow end of the towel and start rolling the cake and the towel together. Let it cool. While it's cooling, make the filling--in a mixer add the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla--beat until smooth. When the pumpkin roll is cool, unroll it completely. Spread the filling over the whole cake. Start at the narrow end again and roll just the cake this time (not the towel). Refrigerate overnight before slicing. Keep refrigerated.

#518 - Lemon Delight

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
2 sticks Parkay margarine (melted)
1 cup chopped nuts
2 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
2 cups Domino's powdered sugar
2 - 3.5oz. boxes Jell-O lemon instant pudding
3 cups milk
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)

In a bowl add flour, melted Parkay and nuts--stir together with a fork. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2" cake pan and press the nut mixture all over the bottom of the cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool. In a mixer beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and spread cream cheese mixture on cooled crust. In a mixer beat pudding mixes and milk and spread pudding mixture on top of cream cheese mixture. Spread Cool Whip over the top. Chill overnight.

#512 - Glazed Strawberry Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - ready-made Keebler graham cracker pie crust
1 cup water
1/4 cup strawberry jelly
1/4 cup of a small box of strawberry Jell-O mix (it won't take the whole box, just 1/4 cup)
2 - 3oz. Philly cream cheese
1 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP orange juice
1 quart of fresh whole strawberries (washed, stemmed, and drained)
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip

In a saucepan, heat the cup of water until boiling, then stir in the 1/4 cup Jell-O mix and the strawberry jelly--stir until dissolved. Place ice cubes in a large bowl and set the saucepan in the ice until mixture is room temperature. Wipe the bottom of the saucepan with a towel and place saucepan in refrigerator until mixture starts to gel. In a mixer beat cream cheese, white sugar and orange juice until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Evenly arrange the strawberries on the cream cheese mixture (bottom end of strawberries up). Remove the glaze from the refrigerator and spoon over the strawberries. Chill at least a few hours, then spread Cool Whip over the top. Refrigerate overnight.

#506 - Pineapple Delight

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup milk
1 - 8oz. can Dole crushed pineapple (drained--throw juice away)
1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
1 - 3oz. package French vanilla instant Jell-O pudding mix
1 jar maraschino cherries (drained--throw juice away)

In a mixer add 1/4 cup milk and cream cheese--beat until creamy. Add the rest of the milk (3/4 cup) and the pudding mix--beat 1 minute until well mixed. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the crushed pineapple with a spoon. Pour mixture into a serving dish and top with drained cherries for decoration. Refrigerate well before serving.

#491 - Cool Whip Salad

(by Lois Minnich - friend)

2 cups Cool Whip
1 - 3oz. softened Philly cream cheese
1 small can mandarin oranges (drained)
1 - 8oz. Dole crushed pineapple (drained)
1 - 3oz. box orange Jell-O mix
1 shredded carrot (optional)

In the mixer, add cream cheese--beat. Add Cool Whip--beat. Add dry Jell-O mix--beat. Remove from mixer, add oranges, pineapple, and shredded carrots--stir with a wooden spoon. Pour mixture into an 8" square pan and refrigerate until set. Keep refrigerated.

#490 - Black Forest Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. softened Philly cream cheese
1 1/4 cups cold milk
1 - 3.5oz. box Jell-O chocolate instant pudding/pie filling
1 pre-made graham cracker crust
1 cup cherry pie filling
1 cup Cool Whip

In a mixer, beat cream cheese. Blend in milk, pudding mix--beat at low speed for 1 minute, then beat at medium speed for 30 seconds. Pour batter into graham cracker crust. Chill until firm. Remove from refrigerator, then spoon cherry pie filing over the top of the pie. Spread Cool Whip over the top of the cherry pie filling. Chill well before serving.

#460 - Sweet Noodle Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. package wide egg noodles (cooked according to package directions)
1/4 cup softened butter
1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
4 TBSP white sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk

Drain noodles after cooking according to package directions and set aside. In a mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, eggs--add salt, white sugar, milk--blend well. By hand, stir the noodles into the sauce mixture--it will be thin and runny. Pour entire mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

#434 - Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 19.5oz. box Pillsbury brownies classics fudge brownie mix
1/4 cup melted butter
4oz. softened Philly cream cheese
1 egg
1 cup Domino's powdered sugar
1 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup chocolate fudge ready to spread frosting

In a bowl, add brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese, egg--beat 50 strokes with a spoon until well blended (dough will be sticky). Drop tablespoonsful of dough on to greased cookie sheets 2" apart. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter with a spoon until mixture forms a large ball. Place a teaspoonful of the peanut butter mixture into your hand and roll into a ball--do the same until you have 24 balls. Press one ball on to the center of each cookie you have placed on the greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes or until edges are set. Cool cookies on the cookie sheets at least 30 minutes before removing them. Spread a thin layer of the fudge frosting over the peanut butter potion of each cookie.

#433 - Chocolate Peanut Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Parkay margarine
6 - 1oz. squares Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 cup Baker's angelflake coconut
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
2 - 8oz. softened Philly cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Microwave 3/4 cup Parkay and 2oz. of chocolate squares in a bowl (on high for 1-2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and peanuts with the melted Parkay/chocolate. Press this mixture in a greased 13 x 9 x 2" baking pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a mixer, add cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla--beat until well blended. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chilled crust that you refrigerated. Chill the cream cheese covered crust for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup Parkay and the remaining chocolate squares--microwave on high 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds--should be entirely melted. Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the cream cheese layer. Chill entire thing for a few hours, then cut into squares.

#424 - Creamy Coconut Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 TBSP white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 - 3oz. Philly cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Baker's angelflake coconut
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 - 9" ready made graham cracker crust
chocolate bits or rainbow sprinkles (optional)

In a blender, combine cream cheese, white sugar, milk, vanilla, and coconut--cover and blend at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour mixture into a bowl, fold in Cool Whip and pour everything into ready made crust--sprinkle chocolate bits or rainbow sprinkles over the top (optional). Freeze for 4 hours before serving--remove from freezer 15 minutes before cutting. Return leftover pie to freezer.