Mini Cheesecakes

These are absolutely delicious!!!

Mini Cheesecakes
3 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
5 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1 c sour cream
¼ c sugar
½ tsp vanilla
Strawberry preserves (optional)

Mix together all ingredients except the topping. Pour ingredients into mini muffin pan, filling cups ¾ full. Bake in 300 degree oven for 30-40 minutes; do not brown. Cool completely.
Mix together topping ingredients except preserves. Spread a small amount on top of each cup. Add a drop of preserves in the middle of each cup and put back in the oven for 5 minutes. Freezes well – I like to make these weeks in advance for showers and teas.

Hidden Mint Cookies

Ok, I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's a Paula recipe, so I know it has to be good! Please let me know what you think if you try this one...

Hidden Mint Cookies
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
18-ounce roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, sliced 1/4-inch thin
14-ounce package chocolate mint wafers
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, or enough to cover top of cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Slightly grease a cookie sheet. Place slices of sugar cookies on sheet, about 2 to 3 inches apart. Top each with a chocolate wafer. Cover wafer with another slice of cookie dough. Brush dough with a beaten egg. Press nuts into top of dough. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Apple-Plum Cake

When Alan and I got married, some of our wedding shower hostesses put together a binder full of their favorite recipes. I have loved using these recipes, and knowing they came from people we care about, who thought enough to write them down and share them with us. This is one of those, although I adapted it a bit... I could never find plain plum baby food, and it called for 2 small jars of that. So, I started using the stage 2 size baby jars of apple-plum, and it is delicious! I'm sure it makes it a little more moist, and who would complain about that?

Apple-Plum Cake
2 cups self rising flour
2 jars apple/plum baby food
1 cup oil
1 cup nuts
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp each – cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

In large bowl, mix all ingredients well except nuts. Add nuts. Bake in tube pan 1 hour at 300 degrees. Can also add 1 tsp vanilla butter and nut flavoring.

Grecian Orange Cake

This is known around these parts as "The Abrams' Signature Cake." Or maybe not. I probably just made that up. :) Anyway, I got this recipe from my mom, and this is something we have made ever since we were first married. Alan even won 2nd place in a men's bake-off using this recipe! The only reason he didn't win first was because a bunch of kids screamed and shouted for the dirt-cup cake that wasn't actually baked, so it should have been disqualified. Anyway, I digress... Here is our most-requested dessert!

Grecian Orange Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 pkg instant lemon pudding
¾ cup oil, scant
¾ cup water

Place all ingredients in mixer. Turn mixer on low and beat for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Icing:
Combine 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar, 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp frozen concentrate of orange juice, and 2 tbsp melted butter. Punch holes in cake with ice pick and pour icing over hot cake. Let stand in tube pan until cool.

Cheesecake Cookies

The next few posts will be dedicated to some of my favorite sweets. Mmmmmm....

I like to make these cookies around Christmastime, although you can make them anytime! They are yummy and won't stay around very long!

Cheesecake cookies
1 cup real butter, softened
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and cream cheese; add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add flour and beat well. Stir in pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Yields 4 dozen.