RECIPE SWAP: RECIPES HELP SATISFY CRAVINGS FOR CHOCOLATE DESSERTS

One of America's favorite foods is chocolate. Considering America ranks third in the world in chocolate consumption, we still certainly consume our fair share. And one Jackson, Mo., reader says she lives to eat chocolate. Most desserts she makes are chocolate in nature. She wanted to share a couple of recipes with you today to help satisfy the irresistible cravings that come with loving chocolate.

Triple Chocolate Fantasy Cake

For the cake:

1 package Devil's Food cake mix

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon ground pecans

For the glaze:

1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

For the white drizzle:

3 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon solid shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan. For the cake, combine cake mix, eggs, water, oil and ground nuts in a large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Pour into pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely. For the glaze, combine chocolate chips and butter in small heavy pan. Heat on low until chips are melted. Stir constantly until shiny and smooth. This will be very thick. Spread hot glaze over cooled cake. Sprinkle with coarsely chopped nuts. Make the white drizzle by combining white chocolate and shortening together in another small pan. Heat on low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Drizzle hot mixture over the top and sides of cake. Makes about 12 to 16 servings.

Peanut Butter Cup Cakes

1 Devil's Food cake mix

1 container vanilla frosting

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

15 miniature peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped and cut in half vertically

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 30 cupcake paper liners in muffin cups. Prepare, bake and cool cupcakes according to package directions. Combine frosting and peanut butter in medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Decorate with peanut butter cup halves, placing cut-side down. Makes 30 cupcakes.

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Lace cookies have caused a stir with me because of a recipe I received in the mail. The recipe sent in by Jan Ticer of Jackson called for oatmeal. Naturally I assumed it meant dry oats and by no means would you put prepared oatmeal in cookies, but this recipe does. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of prepared oatmeal. Most lace cookie recipes I found called for only about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dry oats. I want to share Jan's recipe with you, and give you another more traditional one as well. These sound very interesting and I am anxious to try them.

Lace Cookies

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs. Add sugar, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add oatmeal. Let stand for one hour. Drop by spoonful onto a buttered cookie sheet. Bake until lightly browned. Remove from sheet.

Lace Cookies II

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sifted flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two large baking sheets with butter or shortening. Melt butter in a small saucepan over very low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats and the flour mixture. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, corn syrup, cream, and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture. Mix well, but do not beat. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter onto the baking sheets, about four inches apart. These cookies will spread as they bake. Bake for about eight minutes, or until the cookies are lightly brown. Remove from the oven. After the cookies have cooled for about 30 seconds, remove from the sheets onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Do not allow to stay on sheets any longer, as they will stick.

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Over the weekend, I had a conversation about Elvis Presley and his love for peanut butter and banana sandwiches. So I found my Elvis cookbook and his recipe is in the book. Before you turn up your nose, give them a try. I also thought a little chocolate on these would be good, too.

Elvis' Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 very ripe bananas

10 slices buttered bread

Butter

Blend the peanut butter with the bananas until creamy. Spread the mixture over five slices of the bread. Top with the remaining bread. In a skillet melt just enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Place the sandwiches in the butter and grill them until the bread is lightly toasted. Flip to grill the other side. Drain on toweling if necessary. Makes five sandwiches.

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The taste of fresh strawberries was wonderful this spring and was also enjoyed by Susie Pobst of Chaffee, Mo. Susie shares a couple of salad recipes with us and she hopes you enjoy them, too.

Strawberry Cheese Salad

1 package strawberry gelatin

2 cups hot water

1/2 cup cottage cheese, small curd

1 large can crushed pineapple, drained

1 envelope whipped topping mix, beaten as directed

Let gelatin dissolve and allow to cool. Combine cottage cheese and pineapple. Add whipped topping to gelatin; stir in cottage cheese and pineapple. Pour into large bowl or casserole dish. Allow to set up then top with chopped pecans.

Strawberry Dessert

1 (No. 2) can crushed pineapple

2 small packages cherry gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1 large package frozen strawberries or equal portion of fresh

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 pint sour cream

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add pineapple and juice, strawberries and juice, and bananas. Pour 1/2 of the mixture into a mold and chill until firm. Keep the other half at room temperature. When bottom layer is firm, spread sour cream over, then pour remaining gelatin over; chill until set.

There are no requests this week; everyone must be busy working in their gardens or flowerbeds. We have more recipes to share with you next week, so until then, happy cooking.