Pear Cream Cheese Tart is holiday potluck favorite

HERE are a couple of holiday dessert favorites. The Pear Cream Cheese Tart is always a favorite at potlucks. The Apple Cake with Soft Custard was originally demonstrated by our home economists in 1939!

It's still a perfect dessert to serve after a ham, turkey or roast beef dinner. Place the cake in the oven during the last 45 minutes of cooking your main dish, or right after you remove it from the oven to make the most use of the oven's heat.

Pear Cream Cheese Tart

» Crust:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/3 cups chopped nuts

» Topping:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pears into thin slices; drain well on paper towels.

To make crust: Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix in flour and nuts. Press evenly into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes; cool.

To make topping: Beat cream cheese with eggs, sugar and vanilla. Pour onto cooled crust. Arrange pear slices on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 30 minutes. Serves 16.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 320 calories, 17 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 25 g sugar, 6 g protein.

Apple Cake with Soft Custard

» Custard sauce:
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make cake: Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and beat thoroughly.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine milk and vanilla.

Add flour and milk mixtures in alternating batches to shortening mixture. Pour into greased and lined 8-inch square cake pan. Cover with apple slices; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and butter. Bake 45 minutes. Apples will sink to bottom.

To make custard sauce: In a saucepan, combine eggs, sugar, and salt; mix well. Add milk; mix thoroughly. Cook over medium heat until mixture coats a spoon. Add vanilla.

Invert cake onto a platter; sprinkle with remaining sugar and cinnamon. Cut in squares and serve warm with custard sauce. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 460 calories, 19 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 65 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 43 g sugar, 7 g protein.