2500 Recipes Cookbook Giveaway: Hidden Pear Gelatin Salad

Sharon Reinhardt of West Bloomfield submitted this recipe and is now entered in my 2500 Recipes Cookbook Giveaway.

She says even the men in her family love this recipe and she usually doubles it.

Hidden Pear Gelatin Salad

1 16-oz. can pear halves

1 3-oz. box Jello. (Sharon uses orange)

1 Cup or 1/2 of an 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip

2 Tbl milk

1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese

Directions

Drain pears reserving juice.

Place juice in a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and dissolve dry box of jello into juice. Stir until dissolved.

Cool slightly.

In a medium bowl mash pears with a potato masher. Mix in cream cheese and milk. Beat with an electric mixer till smooth.

Add jello and juice mixture into above and mix again with beater.

Fold in cool whip and refrigerate.

Thank you for sharing your recipe Sharon Reinhardt of West Bloomfield!

Want to be entered in the drawing to win this cookbook, it's simple. 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.
The drawing will be held on May 14.The winning recipe will be posted here, on the Oakland Press website and in print. 

FEATURED RECIPE: Double-Chocolate filled Strawberries

This recipe is definitely going on my list of Spring desserts! It's light and fruity and perfect for any occasion. Not only does It have many of my favorite ingredients - Philadelphia cream cheese, Cool Whip, white chocolate Jell-O pudding and chocolate - it's also low in calories, fat and sugar. How can you go wrong with this recipe.
I can hardly wait to prepare it.

Enjoy!

Photo from Kraftrecipes.com

Ingredients

45 large  fresh strawberries (about 2 lb.)

1/4 cup  PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese

1 cup  cold fat-free milk, divided

1 pkg.  (1 oz.) JELL-O White Chocolate Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding

1 cup  thawed COOL WHIP Sugar Free Whipped Topping

1 tsp.  lemon zest

1 oz.  BAKER'S Bittersweet Chocolate

Directions 

Cut stems off strawberries. Cut "X" in bottom of each berry; spread pieces apart to create opening in center.
Whisk cream cheese and 1/4 cup milk in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Add dry pudding mix; whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP and zest. Spoon into resealable plastic bag.
Cut small corner from bottom of bag; use to pipe filling into berries. Melt chocolate as directed; drizzle over berries. 

Suggestion
This recipe is based on sugar free, fat free ingredients. You can easily prepare with regular cream cheese, pudding, whipped topping and 2 percent or whole milk for an incredibly rich dessert.  


This recipe is based on sugar free, fat free ingredients. You can easily prepare with regular cream cheese, pudding, whipped topping and 2 percent or whole milk for an incredibly rich dessert.

Thanks to KraftRecipes.com for this recipe where you can find this and many more great recipes.

Feature Recipe: Bananas and Cream Pound Cake

Photos by Vicki Arsenault/Family: A Recipe for Life

A light, sweet blend of vanilla and cream on a bed of freshly sliced bananas top this buttery wholesome pound cake. There's something about the pairing of all of these ingredients together and coming up with a perfect ending to any meal.

While flipping through one of my favorite food magazines - Taste of Home - this recipe quickly grabbed my eye. My taste buds were telling me this was going on my list of desserts for the holiday.

I prepared this dessert on Christmas Day and took it to the annual family gathering of 30 to 40 people - where there's never a shortage of desserts.

There's always the desserts that everyone counts on each holiday. The one's that become synonymous with certain people. The dessert's that if you can't find, you know exactly who to go to and ask, where is it?

I've never been one of them. I've always been one that wants to experiment, try out something new on the family and wait for the feedback. Well the feedback was good on this one.

Definitely a recipe to hang on to and make again and again.
Make it for yourself. And please, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Bananas and Cream Pound Cake

Pound cake ready to bake

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon McCormick Pure vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

40 120 \

Pound cake sliced and layered

Layers

2 cups 2% milk

1 package (3.4 ounces) Jell-O brand instant French vanilla pudding mix

1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

1 package (12 ounces) frozen Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed, divided

5 medium ripe bananas

Mixing pudding with cream

 

 

 

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition just until combined. 
•  Transfer to a greased and floured 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth; fold in pudding. Fold in 3-1/2 cups whipped topping.



Spreading cream mixture over prepared pound cake and sliced bananas

• Cut cake into eight slices; arrange on bottom of an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish, trimming to fit as necessary. Slice bananas; arrange over cake. Spread pudding mixture over top. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 hours. Serve with remaining whipped topping. Yield: 15 servings.

Bananas and Cream Pound Cake

Family Recipe: Chocolate Cream Extreme

OMG! This cake screams delicious. My sister Diane gets an A+ for this recipe. The paring of chocolate cake and a cream cheese and whipped cream blend filling, all topped with a milk chocolate icing, makes this the perfect Bundt cake.

My sister Diane and her Chocolate Cream Extreme Bundt Cake

 

She made this for the annual family 4th of July celebration, where in my family, there is never a shortage of desserts. I missed the holiday bash because I was on my way back from Kansas City with our fabulous grandsons. However, I was told that not even a morsel could be found after dinner.
We have a tradition that we started for my mom after the passing of my father. We would designate a day - once a week - where we would all get together at her house. It's been 13 years now and the tradition still goes on. One thing that evolved since the start of this tradition, is that we celebrate each of our birthdays with our favorite cake. Although it always seems we have much, much more than just the birthday cake.
Like this Poppyseed cake that I baked for my niece Nena (center). I've been making this for her for years. So on her birthday recently at my mom's, she had one of her favorites to go along with the featured Chocolate Cream Extreme cake. And that wasn't all either, we also had another family favorite (Pecan pie). But you'll have to come back for that - it's another sister and another recipe.

.

My niece Nena (center) about to blow out the candles of one of her favorite cakes 'Poppyseed Bundt.'

Now for the featured recipe: As soon as my sister cut into this bundt cake, I was sold. Sometimes just one look and you already know you're going to love it. So, make it for yourself and your family and let me know your thoughts, you can leave them right here by commenting. I would love to hear from you.

A slice of Heaven

Ingredients (Cake)

1 box Pillsbury chocolate cake mix (with pudding in the mix)

1 small box Jello brand chocolate instant pie filling

1 can Pillsbury milk chocolate frosting

2 Tbl water

 Filling

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla
1 8 ounce Philadelphia cream cheese
1 8 ounce Kraft Cool Whip


Directions

Prepare cake according to directions. Mix in package of chocolate instant pudding and mix well. Batter will be stiff, add 2 tablespoons of water and finish mixing.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake according to directions.

While cake is baking prepare filling.

Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Fold in Cool whip until well blended. Set aside.

When cake is done, remove from oven and place on wire rack. Take a knife and run it along the outside of the cake to prevent sticking.

Invert cake onto a plate and cool completely.

Using a sharp knife, slice cake evenly from side to side. Gently separate the top half of the cake from the bottom half and set aside.

Spread filling evenly on bottom half of cake and gently replace top half.

Completely frost entire cake with milk chocolate frosting.

Now enjoy!

Variations

 Add an extra cup of Cool Whip topping for a fluffier filling. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the milk chocolate frosting. Melt frosting in microwave and drizzle over top of frosted cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries or raspberries and this cake could be served at any of your finer restaurants.

 I would like to thank my dear sweet sister Diane for not only making this amazing cake for us, but also for sharing this recipe with me and all of you. 

Be sure to check back for my sister Mae's Pecan Pie!

Enjoy! VA