Hi! I’m Ella Zimmerman, a dairy maid for Juniata County Dairy Promotion.

Today, I am going to talk to you about cream cheese. Cream cheese is a food that can be used in a variety of ways. You can spread it on a bagel, cook it in a main meal or enjoy it in a dessert. Just one ounce of cream cheese provides about 10% of the recommended daily intake of calcium. Cheesecake is one dessert that includes cream cheese.

Cheesecake originated in Greece and was served during the first Olympic games because it was believed to be a good source of energy. Though it has cake in its name, cheesecake is not a cake because it does not have flour. Cheesecake is actually a pie because it has a crust and a filling (usually on top).

It’s up to you to decide if this is a cake or a pie. This recipe is called Cherry Cheesecake in a Bowl. We know it’s not a cake because there is no flour. But this recipe doesn’t have a crust. All I know is, it’s really good. This is a quick dessert to take to a picnic, reunion, holiday get together or to celebrate National Cherry Cheesecake Day on April 23.

Cherry cheesecake in a bowl

• 2–8 ounce cream cheese

• 2–16 ounce sour cream

• 2–small packages instant vanilla pudding

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 2 cans cherry pie filling

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla pudding, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well. Top with cherries.