Dirt Cake

This easy recipe is one of my husband's favorites, and has been for a long time.  I've been making cupcakes for summer get-togethers lately, so he put in a request for something fudgy and chocolate-based.  We went to this old favorite, shared it with friends, and the result was just what the almost-doctor ordered. :)

1/4 c butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding
3 1/2 c milk
1 (8oz) container Cool Whip
1 pkg Oreo cookies, crushed (white stuff removed)

Blend butter, powdered sugar, and cream cheese in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix pudding and milk until smooth.  Add cream cheese mixture and mix well.  Add Cool whip and mix until blended.

In a container, add 1/3 of Oreo crumbs, add 1/2 of pudding mixture, add another layer of crumbs, the other 1/2 of the pudding mixture, then top with remaining Oreo crumbs.

Refrigerate 4+ hours.  Serve with gummy worms.

Comments from the cook:  This dessert is so easy!  I used my food chopper/grinder to crush the Oreos (when they break and still have white stuff inside, I toss them in anyway), then did everything else with my KitchenAid.  I layered mine in a trifle bowl, with 4 crumb layers, and 3 pudding layers in between.


Not everyone cares to do so, but I used low-fat cream cheese, sugar-free/fat-free pudding, skim milk, and light Cool Whip in my recipe.  I was pleased to discover that the taste wasn't compromised, even though I'm sure the full-calorie version is even better!

Originally shared by Vickie Luker, dessert extraordinaire and long-time family friend

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

This is my husband's FAVORITE pie, and I made it for him last week after he passed his comprehensive oral exam (one of the last requirements for his doctoral degree).  The crust is my mom's fabulous recipe, the pie is one of her specialties (my dad's favorite), and Brian likes it with cream cheese filling inside (because how could that ruin a pie!?).

Crust:

1/2 c shortening (we use All-Vegetable Crisco - blue container)

1 1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c cold water

4 ice cubes

1 T vinegar (trust me...this is the zinger that makes this crust amazing!)

Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a pastry cutter (or fork) until it balls together into pea-sized chunks.  

In a separate bowl, combine water, ice cubes, and vinegar.

Add 2 TBSP vinegar water to pastry mixture and mix.  Repeat until dough is soft and pliable (6 TBSP or so was enough for mine).

Roll out onto a floured surface.  Cut into a circle, put in a 9" pie dish.  Press edges if desired.

Bake at 400° until edges are slightly golden, usually somewhere between 6-10 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before filling.

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 c Cool Whip

Whip cream cheese with mixer until smooth.  Mix powdered sugar in.  Fold Cool Whip in.

Pour filling into cooled pie shell.

Strawberry topping:

2 (1 lb.) cartons strawberries

1 container strawberry glaze 

Wash and slice strawberries, then mix with strawberry glaze.

Pour glazed strawberries over cream cheese filling into pie crust.

Chill until serving, and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Comments from the cook:  It had been quite a while since I last made this pie...and I couldn't quite remember how I'd done the cream cheese filling before.  This time, I just used cream cheese and sugar...and later realized that Cool Whip was in our earlier versions.  It makes for a fluffier filling, and I won't forget it next time :)  

Originally made by my fabulous mom, Alane Sleight

Cream Puff Cake

This one?  This one almost did me in!  I'd seen the recipe a while ago, and knew we'd have company staying with us this weekend...so I made it.  It's INCREDIBLE, and is more like eating a donut than a cake. Yum!

1/2 c (1 stick) butter
1 c water
1 c flour
4 eggs

4 c milk
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3 small boxes instant vanilla pudding
1 small container whipped topping
chocolate syrup

Crust:

Preheat oven to 400°.

In large saucepan, heat butter and water to boiling over medium-high heat.  Add flour and reduce heat to low.  Cook and stir until it balls up and pulls away from the edges of the pan.

Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.  Beat in eggs, one at a time...beating well after each egg.

Spread into bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Cool completely.

Filling:

In a large bowl, whip cream cheese (alone) until smooth and fluffy.  Slowly add the milk, and beat until combined.  Add pudding mix and beat until thickened.  Spread over cooled shell.

Top with whipped topping.  Keep refrigerated until serving.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup right before serving.

Comments from the cook:  I'd never made this kind of "crust" before, and the end result reminded me of a German Pancake.  It puffs up a WHOLE BUNCH and looks a little bit like a science experiment instead of a dessert :) 


My cream cheese was a bit lumpy when beaten (I use the 1/3 less fat kind), so I had to whip my filling for a little longer than I thought it would need had it been the full-fat version.  


And it's up to you to choose...but two of my three puddings were sugar-free/fat-free (made with skim milk), and I used light whipped topping.  The result was fantastic...and I can only imagine how much better the full calorie versions of everything would make this taste!

Originally found here, which linked it back to here (most text taken from her site).

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

I made a batch of these muffins for a Christmas party, and they were snatched up in no time!  While we usually associate pumpkin with the holidays, I love it all winter long...  These babies are fantastic, and are a crowd-pleaser to boot.

Filling:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla

Muffins:
3 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin puree
1 1/4 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/2 c sugar
5 TBSP flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 TBSP cold butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350° and fill 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

Whip together ingredients for filling until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate while you work on muffin batter.

For muffins, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.  In another bowl, combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil.  Mix with electric mixer on low until blended.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix slowly until combined.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add in butter pieces and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork until coarse and crumbly.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble muffins, fill each muffin liner with about 2 TBSP of batter.  Spoon 1 TBSP of cream cheese filling into the center of each liner (on top of the batter).  Cover the filling with additional batter, covering cream cheese completely.  Sprinkle with 1 TBSP of streusel mixture.

Bake 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely before eating (filling will be VERY hot) and store in an airtight container.

Comments from the cook:  I didn't need to change anything from the original recipe...and they turned out perfectly!  I did have to make a make-shift version of pumpkin pie spice at the last minute (thank you, all-knowing internet for helping me make a quick substitution!).  I'm looking forward to needing a reason to make these again...

Original recipe found here (helpful step-by-step pictures available there!).  Ingredient list and most of directions taken from her site.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

I found these online, and knew that Brian would LOVE them. I made a batch for our anniversary last week, and they were a hit. They will be a great, inexpensive treat next time we need to take dessert to a BBQ...

1 lb strawberries, washed and hollowed out
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c whipped topping
4-6 graham crackers
1 TBSP sugar

Wash strawberries. Using a small paring knife, hollow out insides. Allow to dry on towel.

Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in mixer and beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Then fold in whipped topping.

Crush graham crackers in plastic bag (with rolling pin) and add tablespoon of sugar to mixture. Place in bowl.

Place cream cheese mixture in freezer bag, cut corner off of bag, and pipe into strawberries. Dip in graham cracker mixture.

Serve chilled.

Comments from the cook: The original recipe for these looked really good. When I started mixing it together, I tasted the mixture and thought it needed a little bit more sugar. I also added whipped cream to create a lighter texture (akin to our favorite cheesecake recipe).

Instead of making an entire batch at once, we prepared these a few at a time, and just left the ingredients in the fridge. This made for nice fresh berries each time. Delicious!
Originally found here. Recipe found here.

Fluffy White Cheesecake

Crust:
1 package graham crackers
3-4 TBSP melted butter
3 TBSP sugar

Filling:
2 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 small container whipped topping

Crush graham crackers in ziploc bag with rolling pin. Add sugar, then melted butter. (Leave in bag. Seal after sugar and butter are added, then knead with hands to blend.)

Press crust into bottom of 9x9 pan. (Add more butter for a more solid crust.)

Whip cream cheese with mixer until smooth. Add sugar and mix until blended.

Fold in whipped topping. Pour over graham crust.

Allow to refrigerate overnight and serve with fresh fruit or pie filling.

Comments from the cook: This recipe is one that my mom has been making for as long as I can remember! It's super easy, and is always a crowd pleaser.

When I made it this time, the crust was a bit more crumbly than I usually prefer, so next time I'll add a bit more melted butter. I have also added more whipped topping in the past, and stretched it to a 9x13 pan.

My favorite topping is cherry pie filling, but Brian likes fresh strawberries best. He won this time. :)

Originally shared by: Alane Sleight, my mom!

Ooey Gooey Cheesecake Bars

1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 stick of butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar (1/2 of regular bag)
1 pkg (8 0z) cream cheese, softened

Combine yellow cake mix, one egg, and stick of butter to form a crust. Smush into bottom of 13x9 pan.

Combine two remaining eggs, powdered sugar, and cream cheese and pour mixture over crust.
Bake for 35-40 min in 350° oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and allow to cool.

Comments from the cook: I got this recipe from an old roommate when I was at BYU. It's also commonly known as Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, or Ooey Gooey Lemon Cake (when made with a lemon cake mix instead of yellow). It's a tasty one, and the crust gets me every time... Mmmmm!

Originally shared by Tierra Phillips, Clover Haus roommate circa 2005

Fluffy Lemon Cheesecake

Crust:
32 graham crackers squares (16 full sheets)
2 TSBP powdered sugar
1/2 cup margarine/butter, melted

Crush graham crackers to desired consistency. I prefer mine to be in larger pieces for this recipe...so I crush them in a plastic bag with the rolling pin rather than with the food chopper.

Add margarine and powdered sugar. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with HALF of the mixture. Set the remaining crust mixture aside.

Filling:
2 pkgs (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 small pkg lemon Jello
1 cup water

Add water to Jello and heat in microwave for 3 minutes. Stir until dissolved, and allow to cool to room temperature.

In the meantime, pour evaporated milk into a medium sized bowl -and trust me...choose one a little bigger than you think you'll need! Detach your beater(s) from your mixer and place it/them in the bowl, partially immersing it/them in the evaporated milk. Place in the freezer for 30 min or until evaporated milk starts to crystallize.

If you have a handmixer and a countertop one...you can do this step while the evap milk is in the freezer and Jello is cooling. If not, skip this step and come back to the cream cheese after you're finished with the evaporated milk. Combine 2 softened cream cheeses in your countertop mixer and beat until smooth. Add sugar and whip until smooth. Once at room temperature, add Jello to cream cheese mixture gradually. Add 1/4 of the mixture, and beat until mixed. Repeat until finished.

Once your evap milk has crystallized, remove it from the freezer and reattach beaters to your mixer. Whip until stiff (took mine about 3 min and nearly outgrew the bowl before my eyes!).

Fold whipped evaporated milk into lemon/cream cheese mixture by hand with rubber spatula. Do not overbeat.

Pour over crust. Top with remaining crumbs.

Refridgerate (or freeze) for at least 2 hours before eating. Best when chilled overnight and served the next day.

Comments from the cook: Hello, springtime! This is the perfect dessert to usher in a season of light and fluffy desserts...when we bid farewell to hot fudge for a few months. :)

As you can see, this recipe requires a bit of choreography! If you have two mixers, you can do two things at once...which saves a few minutes. If you don't have two mixers, just finish with the evaporated milk, set it aside, and then work on the cream cheese mixture.

I cheated and added a few drops of yellow food coloring, because mine didn't look quite as yellow as my mom's does. Next time, I will probably add 2 lemon Jello packets to bump up the flavor. And if you're not a fan of lemon, try another Jello flavor! I'm sure strawberry or raspberry would be fantastic, and orange might even be tasty.

I used one low-fat and one fat-free cream cheese. I also used fat-free evaporated milk and my lemon Jello was sugar-free. Certainly full-sugar and full-fat ingredients will taste a LOT better, but this combo slashes the calories and fat. More guilt-free!

Originally shared by my Grandma Tibbitts.

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

1 lb fresh strawberries (1 carton)
10 vanilla cupcakes
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 small tub whipped cream
1/2 bag frozen strawberries
2 TBSP sugar

Cream cheese mixture:
Allow cream cheese to warm to room temperature. Mix with mixer until smooth, then add 1/4 cup sugar. Whip until smooth. Fold in whipped cream and do not overbeat.

Strawberry syrup:
Defrost 1/2 bag of frozen strawberries (can be done with fresh, if you have them) and mash. Add 2 TBSP sugar and stir until combined. Mixture should be thin with chunks.

Break cupcakes into bite-sized pieces, and slice fresh strawberries.

Now assemble!

Start with half of cupcake pieces. Place in bottom of glass bowl. Cover with half of fresh strawberries. Pour half of syrup over strawberries. Add half of cream cheese mixture to top of strawberries. Repeat, saving a few strawberries for the top.

Chill for 2-3 hours. Serves 6+.

Comments from the cook: I made this last night to share with friends, and it was a hit! The cupcakes were left over from another activity (made with applesauce instead of oil), and were starting to lose a bit of their freshness...but even cake headed downhill will make a good trifle! My mom uses bakery-style muffins - usually the cream cheese crumbly or poppy seed ones - broken up in her trifle recipe, and some people even prefer to use pound cake.

I used low fat cream cheese and whipped cream, and the results were still fantastic. This dessert is good the first day, and even better the next!

A CookieSheets&CakePans original!

Mini Fruit Pizzas

1 pkg pre-made sugar cookie dough
1 8 oz pkg 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 small tub whipped topping
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 lb strawberries, sliced
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 small pkg blackberries

Prepare cookies as directed on cookie dough packaging. (I always try to undercook them just slightly...even though the first batch this time around was crispy.)

Cool cookies.

Whip cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar together.

Spread on cookies.

Top with fruit!

Makes 2 dozen+.

Comments from the cook: You may want to wash and drain fruits ahead of time and allow them to dry. Mandarin oranges, in particular, are fairly moist even after being drained. This causes fruit to slide around on the cookies a little and leave a bit of juice behind. Up to you!

A CookieSheets&CakePans original!

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 8 oz package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (generic ok)
1 8 oz package fat free cream cheese
1 packet italian dressing seasoning (dry)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
12-14 chicken tenders
bowtie pasta

Soften cream cheese in microwave or leave at room temperature until soft.

In slow cooker, combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup.

Add italian dressing seasoning packet to cream cheese/soup mixture.

Add 12-14 chicken breast tenderloins to slow cooker.

Cook on low for at least 4 hours.**

Serve over bowtie pasta.

Serves 6+. (We half this, and have enough for leftovers the next day).

**Lisa, the bearer of this recipe, said that she sometimes makes this recipe in the morning before work, so it will be ready when she gets home. If that is the case, she suggests leaving the heat on warm instead of low. Cooking the dish on low for that many hours can cause it to burn around the edges. Up to you!

Comments from the cook: This recipe is a little bit rich, so I would suggest serving it with mild sides. We choose broccoli because, well, we eat it with everything. :)

Originally shared by Lisa Hjorth, co-worker at Provo Craft

Oreo Balls

1 package Oreo cookies, crushed (white stuff removed)
1 8 oz. package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
5-6 squares white almond bark
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips

Remove white filling from Oreos with knife. Blend cookies in mini-chopper or blender until fine. Combine with cream cheese in KitchenAid or with hand mixer.

Roll into walnut size balls and place on cookie sheet covered in wax paper.

Chill for 15 min in refrigerator.

Melt white almond bark in microwave or in double boiler. Melt chocolate chips also. Roll balls through chocolate of choice, and place on wax paper. Drizzle with opposite-colored chocolate.

Allow to harden. Best when served chilled! Makes approx. 2 dozen.

Comments from the cook: These are a true crowd-pleaser! They are quite rich, so keep a glass of milk closeby.

While the recipe calls for almond bark and chocolate chips, the chocolate shown in the picture above is Ghirardelli dipping chocolate. A gift from my MIL. It is AMAZING. I've tried the recipe with chocolate chips and almond bark, and the results are not quite as pretty, but still taste fantastic.

originally shared by: Kathy Kiester, Pioneer 4th Ward