Readers submit recipes; enter Cookbook Giveaway drawing

Readers shared their recipes to enter in the Cookbook Giveaway drawing.
Rho Blanchard says her Cheese Squares are fast and easy to make and light enough to make them just right after a meal.
Elegant Cheese Squares
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip
Directions
Combine crumbs, 3 tbsp. sugar, 1/4 cup butter or margarine and mix well.
Press firmly into 8 inch square pan (bottom and up sides)
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes
Beat cream cheese and blend with 1/2 cup sugar. Add milk, lemon juice and vanilla and blend. Add Cool Whip and spoon into crumb pan. Chill until set.
Garnish with lemon twist or mint leaves and enjoy.
Thank you, Rho Blanchard of West Bloomfield for your recipe.
Cherry Dessert
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 can cherry pie filling
Directions
Cut margarine into flour and sugar. Add coconut and mix gently. Pat one-half of mixture in 8x8 inch pan. Cover with one can cherry pie filling. Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or lightly browned. Top with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Thank you, Robie Radford of White Lake.
Sinfully Simple Chocolate Dessert
1 pkg. devils food cake mix (baked according to directions in 9x13" pan) cut up into cubes
1 16-oz. Cool Whip ( 12 oz. can also be used without any problems)
3 small chocolate instant pudding, prepared according to directions
1 pkg. of Heath Bits
Directions
Layer in Large bowl (bigger than trifle bowl):
Cake cubes
Pudding
Cool Whip
Heath Bits
You can make either 2 or 3 layers. Serves a large amount
Refrigerate.
Thank you, Paulette Williams of Troy for your sinfully simple recipe.
Jacqueline Castine was featured in The Oakland Press many years ago with this recipe. She has this to say about her recipe: "While I was leading a senior citizen group in a game of mental health bingo, I overheard a woman tell her table mates about this dessert. I memorized it because I didn't have anything to write on at the moment. It has been featured on the front page food section of the Oakland Press and Neil Rubin's column on Easy Super Bowl recipes for guys to make at home.
Sander's Show Stopper Ice Cream Dessert
What you need
A spring form pan
A plain pound cake
1/2 gallon of butter pecan ice cream
1 small jar of Sander's milk chocolate fudge topping
4 chocolate toffee candy bars (Heath or Skor)
Directions
Crumble half of pound cake into bottom of pan and cover with half of the ice cream. Break up candy bars with a hammer and sprinkle half on top of the ice cream. Warm topping in microwave and drizzle half of fudge over layer in a lattice effect. Repeat layering ingredients.
Cover with foil or saran wrap and keep in freezer until ready to serve. Release spring form rim.
Serve this magnificent ice cream convection from the pan bottom.
Take your bows!
Note: If you have a large spring form pan, you can double the ingredients and serve 12-14.
Take your bows, Jacqueline. This sounds fantastic!
Sharon Giannangeli of Rochester Hills says this is a recipe that gets great accolades whenever she makes it. She often adds chocolate chips to the batter and eliminates the frosting. It still turns out moist and great!
Banana Cake
Preheat oven to 350
Grease and flour 1 Bundt pan or two 9" round pans.
Mix together first five ingredients and set aside.
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine softened
2 eggs
2-3 very ripe bananas mashed
1 cup sour cream
1 teas vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 cups chopped walnuts and/or 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
Cream sugar and margarine together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Add bananas, vanilla and sour cream. Stir in dry ingredients. Mix well. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using potholders, place serving dish inverted on top of cake and flip over. Cool before frosting (I don't frost as it is very moist but that is your choice. You can also sprinkle with powdered sugar)
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-oz cream cheese, softened
3-4 tbl. softened margarine or butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash salt
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and beat until consistency you like. Add vanilla. If too thin, add more sugar. If too thick, add a bit of milk.
Crumb Topped Cowboy Coffee Cake
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
Combine flour, salt, sugar and shortening until crumbly. Reserve 1/4 cup to sprinkle over top.
Add to above ingredients (not reserve):
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Mix thoroughly.
Add 1 egg well beaten
1/2 cup sour milk (Buttermilk)
Mix well.
Pour into waxed or parchment lined 9x9 square cake pan. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Thank you, Jeanne Morse of White Lake for your recipe.
Barbara Conti submitted her recipe for homemade lemon curd. She says, this curd is so good you can spread it over your body (So, she's been told!)
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
Grated rind and juice of 2 fresh lemons
Directions
Melt butter in top part of a double sauce pan. Place over low heat and slowly add sugar, stirring until well blended. Gradually pour beaten eggs in the butter and sugar mixture. Continue stirring until mixture is light and creamy. Do not allow it to get very hot. Grate peel from lemons and add to the mixture. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and strain. Slowly add lemon juice while continuing to stir.
Place the pan over the lower part of the double saucepan, containing the boiling water. Over low heat, stir until the curd forms a film on the back of a spoon. Pour into clean, screw-top jars. About (3) 1/2 pint jars.
This curd can be used for cookies, tarts, cakes or pies.
Thank you, Barbara Conti of Waterford for your recipe.
Julie's 'Gourmet' noodles
Julie Walker offers up this very quick and simple spin on Ramen noodles.
1 pkg. Ramen noodles (any flavor)
Butter or margarine
Parmesan cheese
Pepper
Boil noodles according to directions, drain. Add butter or margarine to taste. Shake in pepper and Parmesan cheese of equal amounts. Mix well and enjoy.
Julie saves the flavor packets, included in the Ramen noodle package, to use in her favorite homemade noodle soups.
Thank you, Julie Walker for your recipe.
Here's how to enter:
Email one of your favorite recipes to me at Vicki.Arsenault@oakpress.com or if you prefer, you can send by mail: Vicki Arsenault, The Oakland Press, 48 W. Huron St., Pontiac, MI 48342. If sending by mail, please include a contact number for questions or notifying the winner.
If you have a photo, please send that along with your recipe.
Contact Vicki Arsenault at 248-745-4621 or email Vicki.arsenault@oakpress.com Find more of my recipes at www.theoaklandpress.com