photo by: Lori Dunn/Mother Earth News

What is the common denominator among recipes for Easy Cheesecake, Belgian Cheesecake, Scrapple, and Orange Soda Pop Cake?

Hmmmm. Three are desserts, but that leaves out Scrapple, which is a cornmeal/meat mixture that is chilled, sliced and fried, then served for breakfast. Perhaps they’re all breakfast foods?

No, not even close. The only thing these recipes have in common is Recipe Box and our wonderful community of talented, passionate cooks. Four people sent in requests, and now they have their answers, along with advice, comments and information from their fellow Recipe Box readers.

How does it work, you ask? Easy-peasy, as they say.

If you’re looking for a recipe — a long-lost family favorite, one of Grandma’s specialties that you remember enjoying as a child, a wonderful dish from the last church potluck, or a restaurant favorite – send in a request, including all the information you can remember about the recipe, your name, full mailing address, and phone number. It works great if you can email it all to me, pretty please.

We publish only your name, city and state. The phone number is for fact-checking, and the mailing address is so we can eventually send all of the recipe responses directly to you.

Then we wait. Again, sending recipes by email works great. Through random selection, or based on a theme, recipes are selected to be published in a future issue. One, two or three recipes are selected to be printed, and then it depends on the space we have available as to whether they all appear in the magazine. The recipes you’re about to enjoy were selected because they sounded good, and because the Scrapple file folder was getting way too full. Please send any and all recipes to jteller@grit.com and recipebox@cappers.com.

Until then, see you in the kitchen!

Soda Pop for Dessert

Esther Breeden, Willow Springs, Mo., writes that she received a pamphlet of recipes when she married in 1965, and the booklet included a recipe for Orange Soda Pop Cake. The booklet was called Kitchen-Klatter, and it was published in Iowa. The recipe has been lost, and she’d like to bake the cake again for her family.

Genevieve Sullivan, Orangevale, Calif., hopes this is the recipe Esther is looking for; it’s from the website Cooks.com. Genevieve lives in an appropriate location for an Orange Soda Pop Cake recipe, don’t you think?

Orange Soda Cake

From cooks.com

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 box orange deluxe cake mix

1 box lemon instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1⁄2 cup oil

1 can (10 ounces) Crush orange soda

Icing:

1 small can crushed pineapple and juice

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, well-beaten

2 tablespoons flour

1 small can coconut

Directions:

1. For the cake, put all ingredients in mixer bowl and mix well. Bake in 3 well-greased and floured cake pans at 325°F for 30 minutes.

2. For the icing, combine all ingredients except coconut and cook until thick. When cool, add coconut and mix well.

3. Spread icing between cake layers and on the top and sides.

Cheesecake Made Easy

Margaret Vanhorn, Tabor, Iowa, hopes someone has an easy cheesecake recipe to share.

Our readers happily responded to Margaret’s request; among them Lori Boyum of Woodman, Wis., who sent this recipe with the subject line “Super Duper Easy Cheesecake” with a note: “Too good to be true! I have mistakenly used only 8 ounces of cream cheese, and it has still turned out delicious. It’s a family favorite.”

No-Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1⁄3 cup lemon juice

1 can sweetened condensed milk

16 ounces cream cheese

1 prepared graham cracker crust

1 can favorite pie filling

Directions:

1. In blender, mix together lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese. Pour over crust.

2. Spread pie filling over top. Refrigerate overnight.

Note: The recipe can be doubled in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Mary Groharing, Freeport, Ill., sends a slightly different recipe that would be great for a party or potluck.

Individual Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

18 to 30 vanilla wafers (Nilla Wafers are larger, Mary says)

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese

3⁄4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can cherry or other flavor pie filling

Whipped cream, optional

Directions:

1. Use foil cupcake liners. Place vanilla wafer in bottom.

2. Mix together cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Fill cupcake liners 2⁄3 full.

3. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, no longer. Let cool. Top with pie filling, and serve with whipped cream if desired.