Uglies- Delightfully Gooey Chocolate / Cream Cheese Treats!

Every  amazing day on the ocean aboard  the Schooner Heritage, just about mid afternoon, around comes someone from the galley with a fabulous sweet treat, baked from scratch, still warm from the galley woodstove.  Some days it's blondies, or cashew cookies, or 7-layer bars.... it changes from week to week and year to year, but  it's tradition to  have Uglies once. 
Despite vowing at lunchtime that we are so stuffed we will never be able to eat again, our willpower is weak when faced with such treats. These Uglies may look like your average black-bottom cupcakes but they are in fact gooey-er and richer and cream-cheesier.  This recipe makes about 18 muffin-sized treats. There should be about equal amounts of both batters in your cupcake papers.   You can skip the papers of course but they are a tad gooey to  eat without them.     Maybe it's because they are not being enjoyed on the ocean in the sunshine off  the Maine coast as we sail,  but they seem only 85% as good when I make them at home. You owe it to yourself to sail on the Heritage anyway, and then you too will get to enjoy them alfresco!   http://www.schoonerheritage.com/  

Combine 1 1/2 c flour, 1 c sugar, 1/4 c cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda. Then add 1 c water, 1/3 c veg oil, 1 TB vinegar and 1 TB vanilla. In a separate bowl mix 8 oz room-temperature cream cheese ( not the tub variety) with 1/ c sugar, 2 eggs, and 12 oz semi-sweet  chocolate chips. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease your cupcake pans or use cupcake papers. Fill about halfway with the chocolate batter, then top with the cream cheese mixture. If you happen to have a little more cream cheese mixture left, just pop it into a cupcake paper by itself.  Bake about 30-35 minutes. Centers may slump and may not seem quite done.   If you make mini's   or use mini chips  in either size, reduce the amount  of chips to 1/2 cup.  There will be plenty.     For a  mocha spin on uglies,  just replace the water with strong coffee.       

 

 

Easy Fettucini Alfredo

A rich and wonderful fettuccine my friend Linda  served  years ago at "Club" - when we all raved about it, she produced a Philadelphia Cream Cheese box with the recipe on the back.   It's as fast and fabulous as it gets and I don't think it's possible for the alfredo sauce to break.

Cook 8 oz. fettuccine as directed. While it's cooking, put 8 oz cubed cream cheese in a large sauce pan on low heat and stir in 1/2 c. butter, 1 c. ( 4 oz) Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 c. milk. Cook and stir til smooth.

Add the cooked, drained fettuccine. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parsley for color, and additional Parmesan if desired.

Cream Cheese Spinach Soup

Rich, rich, rich, and velvety.  A luxurious-tasting treat for any occasion, from tailgate to formal dinner, and so easy to put together.

In a large Dutch oven, combine 50 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed &  well drained, and 3 cups half and half ( fat free works great). Cover and cook over medium-low heat until heated through. Add 24 oz cream cheese, cubed, 15 oz chicken broth, 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, 3/4 c Parmesan cheese, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring constantly,  until cheese is melted and soup is very hot.  Serves 12...... easy to make just half if you need to.

Creamy Plantation Supper

I'm not sure that they had cream cheese back in the actual " plantation" days!   I grew up in a southern plantation house   in the 1950's,  but my mom didn't make many casseroles, something I've managed to overcompensate for as  an adult.   Oh, if casseroles weren't generally  so  full of carbs...... sigh.  This one is rich, creamy, and cream-cheesy... I clipped this out of a magazine   45 years ago  and  still  love it. Of course,  that was pre  carb-awareness,  so if I  now indulge once a year it's a memorable event.

Brown 1 lb ground beef with 1/2 c chopped onion, cook til onion is tender and beef is done. Stir in 3/4 c milk, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and 8 oz cream cheese, cubed. Stir til well blended. The original recipe adds a drained can of corn and 1/4 c pimiento, chopped. I'm not sure I ever used either of them but both would add some color, if you're so inclined.    I have added   sautéed fresh mushrooms, or   drained canned mushrooms in a pinch.     Stir in  8 oz.  big wide noodles, cooked .  I have broken up lasagna noodles into  pieces when  it was all I had on hand.   Mafaldi,  the  rippled-edge pasta that looks like mini lasagna noodles would be perfect, and now that  pappardelle noodles are  back in vogue  and can be found  everywhere, it  would be good too....Add 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Stir till coated. Serves 4-6.