Desserts

CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE PIE

2 ½ cups whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 nine-inch pastry shell, baked
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spread cranberry sauce over the bottom of pastry shell. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, flour and vanilla on low speed just until combined. Pour over cranberry layer.

UPSIDE DOWN PUMPKIN PIE

1 29-ounce can pumpkin pie mix
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar, part light brown
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Sprinkle ground nutmeg

1 tsp chopped candied ginger
1 Pillsbury Plus yellow cake mix with pudding (no substitutions, sorry)
2 sticks melted and cooled butter
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

350 degree oven. Makes two 9-inch pies.

Line two 9-inch pie pans -not deep dish -- with waxed paper.

Mix together pumpkin, eggs, milk, sugar, salt and spices. Pour right into the pans. Sprinkle ALL the cake mix over top, then sprinkle on the pecans, then drizzle on ALL the butter.

Bake 1 hour. Chill.
Invert and peel off wax paper.
Serve with Caramel Sauce and whipped cream with a little vanilla and brandy added to it.

Caramel Sauce:

2 Sticks butter
2 cups light brown sugar - or part dark brown
1 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in a small heavy pan. Stir in brown sugar and cream. Cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, yes constantly, until all melted and thoroughly blended. Do not even think of boiling this.

It gets better on sitting and reheats easily in the microwave . Watch it like a hawk to not overheat.

EGGNOG CREAM PUFFS

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup all purpose flour

4 eggs
eggnog cream (below)
powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400F. Heat water and butter to rolling boil in 2-1/2 qt saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth.

Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool away from draft.

Cut off tops of puffs; pull out any soft dough. Fill puffs with Eggnog Cream; replace tops. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 10-12 creampuffs.

Eggnog Cream:
1 pkg (4 serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp rum extract
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 cups whipping (heavy) cream

Beat all ingredients except cream in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed, for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Add cream. Beat on high speed 1-2 minutes or until soft peaks form.

KAHLUA BLACK RUSSIAN PIE

1 c oreo cookie crumbs (app 14)
2 T butter, melted
24 marshmallows, large
1/2 c milk, cold
1/8 t salt

3 oz kahlua
1 c whipping cream
1 Baker's solid semi-sweet
1 chocolate for curls (optional)

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in and 8-inch pie pan. Mix well and press firmly in an even layer over bottom and sides of pan to form a crust. Place in freezer until firm. Meanwhile, melt marshmallows with milk and salt over hot water. Cool until mixture will mound on a spoon.

Stir in Kahlua. Beat cream stiff and fold into marshmallow mixture. Chill about 30 minutes, until mixture holds ripples when stirred lightly. Turn into chilled cookie shell and freeze firm. Before serving, arrange a circle of chocolate curls in the center (optional) and cut into wedges.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PIE

1 unbaked pastry shell -- (9 inch)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries -- thawed

Filling

1 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese -- softened
1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream -- whipped

Topping

2 squares semisweet chocolate -- (1 ounce each)

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the raspberries; bring to a boil over Medium heat. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool for 15 minutes. Spread into shell; refrigerate.

In a mixing bowl, bet cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream. Carefully spread over raspberry layer. Cover and refrigerate for a least 1 hour. Melt chocolate and butter; cool for 4-5 minutes. Pour over filling. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

MORE ZEBRALICIOUS DESSERTS COMING . . .