Halloween Cheesecake Dessert Recipe

Leaning Tower Of Cheesecake

In Italy they have the Leaning Tower Of Pisa…

Here in York County, PA our claim to fame is the Leaning Tower Of Cheese Cake!

This fun recipe is NOT healthy. We do make some small changes when creating it to upgrade the cake from totally decadent and NOT healthy to just plain bad for you.

Halloween Dessert

Anyway you slice it, desserts made from mixes are chemically-laden garbage…. but this is still fun and yummy for a special occasion dessert on Halloween!

This recipe can be made with any kind of jam, jello and fruit. In this case I used canned peaches, orange jello and peach preserves.  Sprinkle it with chocolate sprinkles and it is a perfect treat.

Make The Cake First

Cake mixes are full of hydrogenated fats (bad!) We make this mix a bit healthier with a couple of small changes.

1 pkg. (10-18 oz) Pound cake mix
1 lemon
lemon zest
water and lemon juice to add up to package instructions
4 oz. egg beaters/whites

1. Zest lemon into mixing bowl (reserve half of the zest for garnish), juice lemon and measure, combine water with lemon juice to equal package directions, setting aside 1 tablespoon lemon juice for later.
2. Add all other ingredients, and mix by hand until smooth.  Do not overmix.
3. Line Stoneware Bar pan with Parchment Paper, and pour mix in.
4. Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes or until done. Cool thoroughly.

Assemble The Rest Of Your Recipe Ingredients

Make The Cheesecake Glaze

1/2 cup water
1 pkg. (.44 oz) sugar-free jello
1/4 cup jam of same flavor

1. Heat water to a boil.
2. Dissolve jello and stir in jam.
3. Set aside to cool.  Do not refrigerate.

 Make The Dessert Filling

1/3 cup skim milk
1 pkg. (8oz) fat-free cream cheese
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant cheesecake pudding and pie filling
(12 oz.) fat-free frozen whipped topping
1 Tbs. reserved lemon juice.
1 cup diced fruit of choice

1. Combine lemon juice and cream cheese.  Then add in milk until combined.
2. Put whipped topping in bowl on top of cheese mixture, then sprinkle with cheesecake pie filling powder.  Fold using spatula until combined, stir in fruit.

Assemble Your Halloween Cheesecake Dessert

1. Cut cooled pound cake into 4 equal sections.  Place one piece on platter and brush with glaze.  A dollop of goop in the center and spread it around.
2. Add another layer of cake and proceed as above till the top layer is on.
3. On the top layer, toss the extra fruit in the extra glaze and pour into the center of the cake.

Patriotic Punch Recipe: Red, White & Blue

Red, White And Blue Punch

This patriotic recipe is fun but not very healthy.  A combination recipe and food science experiment, the red, white and blue punch will be a hit with children and adults alike! Do the best you can to pick out healthier beverage choices.

The Secret Of Layered Punch

There are 2 secrets in making the red, white and blue punch. The first is a lesson in food science. When selecting liquids you may use any colors you want as long as you pick ones with varying amounts of sugar. Sugar will make one beverage heavier than the other, enabling you to make any color combination for your punch. Beverages containing more sugar are denser than those with less.  Compare the grams of sugar in the nutritional analysis, making sure that you are comparing the same unit of measure or portion size. See the notes below in the ingredient list on the sugar content per cup of our choices in this recipe.

The second secret is the ice. When pouring the beverages into the glass or punch bowl the subsequent layers must land on the ice and not the other layer. When making a punch bowl it is advisable to have a frozen mass of ice cube or an ice ring.

Patriotic Punch Recipe

Cranberry juice (32 grams sugar)
Low sugar Lemonade (12 grams sugar)
Blue Gatorade Fierce (5 grams sugar)

1. Fill a clear glass or punch bowl with ice cubes. Pour the drink with the most sugar (check the nutrition label) into the glass. Start with cranberry juice.
2. Very slowly add a beverage that contains less sugar — in this case, lemonade. Be careful to pour it onto an ice cube — not directly into the other drink — to keep them from mixing.
3. Use the same technique to add a layer of Gatorade.

Cooking With Kids – Food Science Experiment

Anytime you can get your kids interested in cooking, you will contribute to their lifelong good health. While this may not be a healthy recipe, as a food science experiment the punch is always interesting to kids.

I often make this recipe in children’s cooking classes. Using a small clear disposable cup you can have each child layer her or his own beverage (any colors) into their cups. Using small cups and a small cream pitcher makes it easier for kids ages 5-10 make their own beverage/science experiment.