Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert

This is a day-before  recipe from a Duncan Hines Deep Chocolate Cake Mix box circa  the early 70's, before cheesecakes  dominated the American dessert scene. It immediately became a favorite, and despite becoming more sophisticated about 'real' cheesecakes, still holds a spot in our hearts. I've just tagged it as 'cheesecake dessert' so you won't expect it to look or taste  like an ordinary cheesecake. It's a retro  milk-chocolate-y wonder on its' own terms.

Preheat the oven to 300. From a box of Deep Chocolate* Cake Mix (just choose the
darkest chocolate mix you can, any brand will do), set aside 1 cup. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the mix with 1 egg and 1 TB vegetable (not olive!) oil. The mixture will be dry and crumbly. Press it into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

In the same bowl (don't bother to wash it) blend 16 oz softened cream cheese with 1/2 c. sugar, Add 3 eggs and the reserved cup of cake mix. Beat 1-2 minutes, be sure there are no lumps. Then, slowly, add 1-/2 cups milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix til smooth, pour onto crust and bake at 300 for 55-65 minutes. The center should look pretty firm.

Let cool, then refrigerate overnight. It is not ready to eat, it really does need to mellow first. Top with whipped cream or a tub of cool whip and some chocolate curls, sprinkles, crumbs, a chcolate-dipped strawberry, or whatever. Cut in squares.

Duncan Hines trivia:    There is a permanent exhibit at the Kentucky Museum in Bowling Green, KY, called "Recommended by Duncan Hines".  Hines was a traveling salesman who kept a journal of places where he dined while on the road. ( Not having access to a blog , ha!) in 1936 he published it as a book "Adventures in Good Eating" and later followed it with a guide to hotels called "Recommended by Duncan Hines" and thus became a hospitality-industry status symbol--- sort of a "Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval" for the hospitality industry.
Pretty soon he was endorsing all sorts of food products from spices to cake mixes, and thus the DH brand evolved.

Sweet 'n Salty Lemon Dessert

I love  recipes with a 'surprise' ingredient. This recipe  came from a local radio station owner when I put together a community cookbook some years ago. The salty cracker crumbs are a good contrast to the sweet meringue and sweet-tart lemon filling.

Preheat oven to 400. Crush 1/3 box Keebler Club Crackers and save a couple tablespoons for a garnish
Mix with 1 stick melter margarine or butter & spread in a 9 x 13 pan.
Beat 3 egg whites until glossy, add 1 c sugar, and beat til stiff. Spread over the crumbs. Bake for 10 minutes, and cool. Spread  prepared package of ( cook-type) lemon pudding or  1 can lemon pudding/pie filling  over the top, then top that with about 5 oz cool whip or whipped cream. Chill for several hours before cutting in squares to serve, and sprinkle with the salty crumbs and/or a tiny bit of lemon zest..