Youthful Cheese

While preparing for our 4th of July picnic, I was looking for an easy dessert that would go well with homemade ice cream and be easy to pack up with the picnic food. Deep in the back of the recipe drawer that contains everything that I can't find, was the perfect recipe --Black Bottom Cupcakes. The ingredient that makes this recipe stand out is cream cheese. Cream cheese is considered a fresh or unaged cheese. Its mild,fresh tasting and sweet flavor makes it one of the most widely-consumed cheeses used in a variety of recipes.

Here are a few tips for storing youthful or unaged cheese:

-unaged cheese is highly perishable, keep refrigerated

-the fresher the cheese, the better the flavor

-open within the package dating code and use within one week after opening

-keep tightly wrapped or sealed until gone

-if mold forms on any part of cheese, discard all of the cheese

-freezing is not recommended due to change in texture when thawed

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Filling:

1 package (80unces) cream cheese,softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcakes:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

Sugar

Chopped almonds,if desired

Combine cream cheese,sugar,egg and salt in a small mixing bowl;blend until smooth. Stir in chips. Set aside. Sift toether flour,cocoa,salt,sugar,and soda. Add egg,water,vinegar,oil and vanilla; beat until well combined. Fill paper-lined muffin tins half full with chocolate batter. Drop a heaping teaspoon of cheese mixture in center of batter of each cupcake. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate any leftovers. Yield: 20-24 cupcakes

You can find more delicious cream cheese recipes at http://www.midwestdairy.com/. Hope you find the perfect recipe for youthful (unaged) cream cheese!