HERSHEY'S Chocolate Cheesecake

I’ve always been a big fan of cheesecakes. How about you? This one is luscious! Trust the folks at HERSHEY’S to come up with it. And don’t forget to check out the recipe for Cheesecake Squares that’s at the bottom.

HERSHEY’S Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake

1 cup salted or unsalted finely crushed pretzels
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 packages ( 8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup HERSHEY’S European Style Cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup dairy sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For crust, in medium bowl combine crushed pretzels and 1 tablespoon sugar; stir in butter. Press mixture on bottom of 9-inch spring form pan. Bake 8 minutes; cool slightly.

In large mixer bowl beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar and cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream and vanilla; blend well.

Pour into pan. Bake 35 minutes. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 20 minutes without opening door. Remove from oven. Cool completely; cover and refrigerate. Garnish as desired.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

Double ingredients above for pretzel crust. Press mixture firmly on bottom of buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake as directed.

Prepare cheesecake using recipe above. Bake 35 minutes or until edges are set (edges may crack slightly). Remove from oven. Cool completely

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This recipe comes from the October 2012 Woman’s Day magazine. It’s the magazine’s 75^th Anniversary Issue and is loaded with recipes. This recipe is an updated version of what we might have cooked had we been cooking in the 1950s.

I’ll just add -- again -- that I always use wax paper instead of parchment paper and I’ve never had an issues with that. I also have used canned pineapple slides, drained, instead of fresh pineapple. It doesn’t quite have the taste of fresh pineapple but it’s something I can keep on hand when I need a dessert quickly.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, cut in ¼-inch-thick half-moons
11 maraschino cherries
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir in the brown sugar until blended. Spread over the parchment. Arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer, then place the cherries between each slice and in the center.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat in the remaining 6 tablespoons butter until the mixture looks sandy. Beat in the milk, vanilla and eggs. Beat on medium for 1 minute.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to release from pan. Invert the cake onto a large plate. Remove the pan and parchment and let cool completely.

Makes 12 servings at 224 calories per serving.

Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac 'N Cheese

This recipe -- another great one from Pillsbury -- is especially for those of us who LOVE cheese. And it's easy! Just note that if you check labels, you'll find a whole lots of sodium in this dish.

 

Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac 'N Cheese

 

3 cups uncooked penne pasta (10 oz)

1 can (18 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy three cheese cooking sauce

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic in water (from 4.5-oz jar) or 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

2 oz American cheese loaf, shredded (1/2 cup) or 4 slices American cheese, diced

1 bag (2.5 oz) cooked real bacon pieces or bits

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper, if desired

Garnish, if desired, Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

 

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat cooking sauce, milk and garlic to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in pasta, bacon and bell pepper. Spoon into casserole.

 

Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Easy Marble Bark

This recipe comes from the folks over at BAKER’S Chocolate. BAKER’S is a must in my pantry. How about yours? It’s easy to whip up something scrumptious so long as you have some chocolate

This recipe gives you the option for nuts or coconut. If you choose the coconut, they suggest toasting it in a baking pan in a 350 degree oven for 7 to 12 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.

Easy Marble Bark

6 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 package (6 squares) BAKER’S Premium White Chocolate
1 cup toasted chopped nuts OR BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut

Microwave semi-sweet and white chocolates in separate bowls on HIGH 2 minutes or until almost melted, stirring halfway through heating time. Stir until completely melted.

Stir ½ cup of the nuts or coconut into each bowl. Alternately spoon melted chocolate onto wax paper-lined cookie sheet or tray. Swirl chocolates together with knife to marblelize.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces.

Makes about 1 pound.

Variation:

Chocolate Bark: Prepare Marble Bark as directed, omitting white chocolate. Use 12 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate or 3 packages (4 oz. each) BAKER’S GERMAN’S Sweet Chocolate.

Philly Brunch Quiche

I’ve always found that some of the best recipes come from the folks who actually make the products. This recipe is from the Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese folks. One of my all time favorite recipes comes from them so I can’t wait to give this one a try as well.

“Philly” Brunch Quiche

1 10-inch baked pie crust
1 8-oz. package Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon PARKAY Margarine
1 cup finely chopped ham
¼ cup chopped pimento
¼ cup finely chopped green pepper
Dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese and milk in saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth. Gradually add cream cheese mixture to eggs, mixing until well blended.

Sauté onions in margarine. Add onions and remaining ingredients to cream cheese mixture. Mix well.

Pour into pastry shell. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Makes 8 servings.

Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges

This is another recipe from the newspaper archives. I have no idea which newspaper but I love cinnamon and apples so that makes it wonderful to me.

This is the original recipe. It says to serve this with pancakes. That’s fine. I prefer putting it over ice cream or even just eating the Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges as a dessert. Put it in individual glass dishes, maybe add a dollop of sugar-free whipped topping, and you’ve got a wonderfully elegant dessert that won’t pack on the calories.

Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges

1 can (6-oz.) frozen, unsweetened cider concentrate
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt (optional)
3 unpeeled McIntosh eating apples, cored and cut in thin wedges

Defrost, but do not dilute cider concentrate. Thoroughly mix all ingredients, except apples, in saucepan. Cook and stir over moderate heat until mixture simmers and thickens.

Stir in apple wedges and simmer just until tender and heated through but not soft and overcooked.

Serve hot over pancakes.

Makes enough to top 10 pancakes, adds 60 calories to each.

Diet-Delight Three-Cheese Rotelle

This recipe comes from the October 1990 issue of Redbook magazine. It’s for those of us who love pasta but really need to watch our weight.

Diet-Delight Three-Cheese Rotelle

8 oz. tricolor rotelle (corkscrew) pasta
¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ cup skim milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 cup coarsely grated low-fat Swiss cheese, about 4 oz.
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil springs, optional

Prepare rotelle according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, process ricotta and milk until smooth; set aside. In 1-quart nonstick saucepan over medium heat, heat oil; add onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Pour ricotta mixture into saucepan. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring until heated through.

Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Toss well with ricotta mixture, Swiss cheese, parsley, chopped basil, grated Parmesan, chives, orange peel and pepper.

Garnish with fresh basil springs to serve, if desired.

Makes 6 servings, at 273 calories per serving.