readers’ recipes
family favorites from your home kitchens
carrot pumpkin cheesecake muffins
MAKES 12 muffins PREP 15 minutes BAKE at 350° for 25 minutes
1 package ( 8 ounces)
cream cheese,
softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon
juice
1 package ( 14 ounces)
pumpkin quick bread
and muffin mix
(such as Pillsbury)
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter,
softened
1 Heat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan
with nonstick cooking spray.
2 In a medium-size bowl, beat cream cheese,
1 egg, sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
3 Set aside 1/2 cup of muffin mix for topping.
Place rest of mix in large bowl. Add remaining egg,
carrots, milk, raisins and oil. Stir until well blended.
4 Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter.
Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of cream cheese
mixture over top of each muffin.
5 In a small bowl, combine reserved muffin mix,
pecans and butter. Mix with fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle evenly over the cream cheese in each
muffin cup.
6 Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove from
oven and cool muffins in pan for 15 minutes.
Gently lift muffins out of pan and cool completely.
“We do morning bake sales to benefit
the high school band, so breakfast items
are big sellers. Carrots make these muffins
really moist.” —Eva Kirby, Dickson, TN
bake sale
bonanza
Support Share Our Strength
and help end childhood
hunger in America—visit
greatamericanbakesale.org
for a free starter kit.
“I package the cooled caramel corn in
decorative or resealable plastic bags.
Depending on the size, they usually sell for
$2 to $3 each. They also make nice gifts.”
—Kris Winkler, Monroe, WI
simply great caramel corn
MAKES 14 cups PREP 10 minutes MICROWAVE 7 1/2 minutes
12 cups popped corn 1 cup packed light-
1 cup mini pretzels
brown sugar
1 cup salted cashews 1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 large brown paper 1/2 teaspoon salt
grocery bag 1/2 teaspoon baking
1 stick unsalted butter
soda
1 Place the popped corn, pretzels and cashews
in the paper bag. Shake to combine.
2 Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl,
1 minute. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.
Microwave 2 minutes. Mixture will boil. Carefully
stir and microwave for additional 2 minutes.
3 Stir baking soda into sugar mixture. It will
foam up. Carefully pour over popcorn mixture.
Fold top of bag over and shake to coat popcorn.
4 Place bag in microwave; cook 11/2 minutes.
(Watch carefully, as higher wattage ovens may
cook faster. Alternatively, transfer mixture to a
greased sheet pan; bake at 250° for 1 hour, stirring.)
Remove bag and shake. Microwave an additional
1 minute. Pour onto large cookie sheets to cool.
Calling all cooks If you have a great recipe that your family and friends love, send it to readerrecipes@familycircle.com
so we can share it in this column. All recipes must be original and not previously published. By submitting a recipe, you grant us
permission to edit it and use it in any medium. We will pay $50 for each recipe we print.
