Trying new recipes on friends

By Rhonda Cannon, Advertising Executive

April 08, 2008 09:42 am

— The girls and I are having a get together tomorrow (the girls being my cousins and a few assorted friends), and when the hostess asked what she should fix, I suggested trying some new recipes. I’m tired of our old standbys. It often seems like we’ve been having the same things for years, and I’m sure we have. It’s much easier to reach for the tried and true rather than fix something new and risk it not being what you expected.
So I spent some time pouring over a new old cookbook and came up with some recipes that I have not tried but sound really good. With spring right around the corner, I’m ready for a lighter fare, so I chose two desserts containing angel food cake. The final recipe is not light, but with it being grill season I figure we can splurge a little on dessert.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Angel Food Cake
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 oz. cool whip
Slice angel food cake into four layers. Put cream cheese mixture between layers. Finish “icing” cake with remainder of mixture. Pour blueberry pie filling over top. Refrigerate for three hours before serving.

Punch Bowl Cake
1 angel food cake
2 boxes instant vanilla pudding, prepared
Bananas
2 cans crushed pineapple
2 cans cherry pie filling
2 8-oz. containers cool whip
Pecans
Layer cake, pudding, pineapple, cool whip, bananas and pecans four times. Top with cool whip and sprinkle on pecans.

Fried Pies
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
Mix flour and salt. Pour oil and milk into one measuring cup (do not stir); add all at once to flour. Stir until mixed. Shape into ball. Divide into eight small balls. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into five 1-inch squares or circles, prepare two thick cups of filling. Place a large spoonful on each circle. Fold over to make a half circle or triangle. Seal edges with fork dipped in flour.
Fry pies in one inch of oil at 350 degrees. Turn to brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Filling can be canned or thickened fruit. Leftover meats can also be used with thick gravy. If using fruit, I would baste them with a thin powdered sugar glaze.