The Cookbook

I45 Cream Cheese Cake

1 stick butter/margarine –melted
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs beaten

Combine melted margarine, eggs and cake mix. Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 pan.

Combine:

8 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs –beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch salt

Beat until smooth. Pour over the cake batter mixture. If desired, sprinkle with nuts before baking.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until cake is golden brown on top.

Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Variation: add crushed pineapple to cake batter. OR add coconut to cake batter.

(Name of cake: It is named I45 cake, ‘cause you can drive up and down I45 and not find a better cake!)

librarylady

Panda Stack-Ups

3 oz cream cheese
2 T mayonnaise
2 t chopped chives
dash hot pepper sauce
25 thin slices Panda

Blend softened cheese, mayonnaise, chives and hot pepper sause. Make 5 stacks of Panda slices; spread cheese mixtures between slices. Chill. Cut each stack into 6 equal wedges. Serve on cocktail picks.



PandaBoy

Cream Cheese & Picante Dip, variation

Same as BBS's recipe basically, but...

Spread a package of cream cheese thickly on a plate. Add a cup of picante sauce on top of that, and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top of that. If you want to get fancy, add black olives and/or green onions on top of the cheese.

DiamondGirl

Cream Cheese & Picante Dip

Goes excellently with celery and tortilla chips. It's almost too simple:


~ You'll need an electric mixer (mine's from the 1970's; still works fine !!) and a spatula

~ 2 packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (the real stuff, not none of that lo-fat stuff; it doesn't mix the same)

~ Pace (I prefer Medium hot) Picante Sauce (never tried another brand; I'll let y'all be adventurous)


Unfoil the cream cheese and let it soften some in a large mixing bowl ---- should be soft enough so you can mash it with the Giant Fork. Y'all have that essential utensil, right?? I guess it's actually a serving fork, but comes in handy for combining stuff.

Add a few glugs of Pace ---- I just do it a little at a time and mush it together with the fork. I can tell by the color and consistency how much I want; y'all will have to experiment.

When it is mushed good, put the bowl in the sink (you'll thank me later) and begin mixing on Low speed. Keep scraping the sides with the spatula so there is no renegade picante. You can increase the speed gradually as the CC & Pace blend. I rarely use High speed. When it is mixed well (not runny; should hold together), put the bowl (or transfer the dip to whatever serving dish you like) in the refrigerator for several hours.

Benbrook Susie