Creativity In The Kitchen Could Pay Off

(NAPSI)-A simple recipe idea could be your ticket to fame and fortune. The 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest is accepting entries now through April 20, 2009. One hundred creative home cooks will compete for a $1 million grand prize at the contest finals April 11-13, 2010, in Orlando. For more details, visit www.bakeoff.com. This recipe example from the 43rd contest fits the Sweet Treats category. The caramel ice cream topping in the filling and drizzled on top makes this creamy cheesecake irresistible.

Spiced Creamy Caramel-Peanut Torte

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 jar (12.25 oz) Smucker's® caramel ice cream topping

½ cup Jif® creamy peanut butter

⅓ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or regular ground nutmeg

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1¼ cups Fisher® honey roasted peanuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 10- or 9-inch springform pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Press cookie dough on bottom and ¼ inch up side of pan. Bake 16 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, ⅔ cup of the caramel topping, the peanut butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold in whipped topping until well mixed. Fold in 1 cup of the peanuts. Cover; refrigerate until crust is completely cooled.

Spoon cream cheese mixture over cookie crust. Freeze at least 30 minutes until set.

Just before serving, top cheesecake with remaining ¼ cup peanuts and drizzle with remaining ⅓ cup caramel topping. For easier cutting, wipe knife after each cut. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

16 servings

Bake-Off is a registered trademark of General Mills, Smucker's, Crisco and Jif are trademarks of The J.M. Smucker Company, Fisher is a registered trademark of John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake With Maple Glaze

CC Note: Yum, Yummy, and Yummier!!!

(NAPSI)-A classic cheesecake is easily dressed up for the party season with the addition of pumpkin and a dramatic maple glaze studded with raisins and nuts. As elegant as it looks, this cheesecake is easy to make and is best when made a day ahead.

For the best texture, be sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. This is especially important for the cream cheese to whip into a creamy texture. Run a blunt knife around the edge of the cake after baking in order to reduce the chance of cracks appearing on the top, suggest the experts at the Sun-Maid Growers of California test kitchen.

With the cheesecake made the day before the big event, all that's left is to whip up the glaze just before the party begins. If you plan to travel with this dessert to a party (and what hostess wouldn't be delighted by such a marvelous dessert?), carry the chilled cake in the springform pan and glaze separately. Upon arrival, simply remove the outer ring of the pan and pour the glaze on top of the cheesecake. For more decadent dessert ideas, visit www.sunmaid.com.

Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake

1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup melted butter or margarine

3 8-oz. packages softened cream cheese

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 16-oz. can pumpkin

3 eggs

¼ cup maple syrup

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 300° F. Combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Press firmly on bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until edge springs back when lightly touched (center will be slightly soft). Cool and chill.

Raisin Nut Glaze

2 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup chopped nuts

½ cup Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

Combine water and cornstarch. In small saucepan, melt butter. Add maple syrup and cornstarch mixture; cool and stir until slightly thickened. Add chopped nuts and raisins. Spoon over chilled cheesecake.

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Saying Yes To Dessert While Staying True To A Healthier Diet

CC Note: Perfect! We give this story our famous four chocolate covered strawberry rating!

(NAPSI)-For many of us, a meal is not complete without a sweet ending. Fortunately, eating a healthier diet does not mean having to give up desserts.

Choose all your ingredients carefully and make a few simple substitutions, and it's easier than you might imagine to create tasty, decadent treats with significantly less calories and fat. Here are a few tips to help:

• Use low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt in place of sour cream.

• Try low-fat versions of half-and-half or cream cheese to reduce fat.

• Use egg substitute in place of fresh eggs to lower calories and fat, or use two egg whites in place of one whole egg.

• Choose recipes with cocoa; it is naturally fat-free.

• Select fresh or frozen fruit for a sweet ending to the day. Serve with fat-free whipped topping and a few toasted nuts for a special touch.

• Traditional recipes for such mouthwatering desserts as cheesecake and Bananas Foster have a high share of calories from sugar and fat. By substituting Karo Lite Syrup for original Karo syrup, you can easily reduce calories. This simple substitution can work in a variety of your favorite Karo recipes with the same great results.

Although Karo Lite Syrup is great for most dessert recipes, for best results in candy and no-bake cereal bars, use original Karo Light or Dark Corn Syrup.

Here are two tantalizing, guilt-free recipes to try the next time you are looking for a little sweet treat:

Lite Frozen Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Freeze Time: 6 to 8 hours

Yield: 8 servings

½ cup Karo Lite Syrup

½ cup fat-free half-and-half

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons sucralose sweetener

1 tablespoon sugar

1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon vanilla

11/2 cups (4 ounces) reduced- calorie whipped topping

1 9-inch chocolate cookie crumb crust

1. Heat syrup and half-and-half in a microwave-safe container for one minute. Stir in chocolate chips and heat for 30 seconds; stir until smooth and well blended. Pour mixture into blender or food processor; add cocoa, sucralose, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla.

2. Blend on medium speed in blender until very smooth. Add whipped topping and mix until uniformly blended.

3. Pour into crust. Cover and freeze for at least six hours. Remove from the freezer and thaw for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional whipped topping and cocoa, if desired.

Recipe Tip: For a Mocha Pie, stir two teaspoons instant coffee granules into the Karo Lite Syrup mixture before microwaving.

Lite Bananas Foster

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon trans-fat-free margarine

1 tablespoon sucralose sweetener and brown sugar blend

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

3 firm, ripe, 7-to-8-inch bananas, peeled, halved and sliced lengthwise

¼ cup Karo Lite Syrup

1 tablespoon rum or banana liqueur, optional

Low-fat vanilla ice cream

1. Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar blend, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Add syrup when mixture begins to bubble; gently stir in bananas. Cook bananas for about one minute per side until hot. Add rum, if desired. Remove from heat and serve immediately over ice cream.

For pecan and pumpkin pie recipes, visit www.karosyrup.com.

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