DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’d like to submit the following peanut butter pie recipe, which is always a hit in our house.

Ingredients

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 to ½ cup of milk

1 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip

Directions

Mix cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and milk with an electric mixer until creamy. Fold in the Cool Whip. Pour into a pastry, graham cracker or Oreo cookie crust. Refrigerate several hours before serving. If wanted, you could drizzle with chocolate sauce, too. Enjoy! — Donna Douglass, Wales

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I read your questions daily via the Internet. I recently noticed people asking for an easy peanut butter fudge recipe. I always had a hard time making fudge until a friend gave me this recipe. To those who say yuck when they read it, all I can say is try it before you say anything about its contents. If a person didn’t see Velveeta cheese in it, they won’t know it is.

Ingredients

½ pound soft Velveeta cheese

1 cup (2 sticks) soft butter — do not use margarine (I use 1 1/2 sticks; less to remove in step 3)

1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 16-ounce boxes confectioners sugar

If you like extra nuts, add during step 1.

Directions

Lightly spray the bottom of a 9- by 9- by 2-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt cheese and butter together, then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Empty confectioners sugar into a large bowl and pour cheese mixture over sugar. Stir until completely mixed (it’s easier once mixture is cooled to touch to use hands to mix). Candy will be slightly stiff.

Using your hands, remove candy from the bowl and press evenly and firmly into the pan. Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, pat top with paper towels to remove excess oil. Place the plan in refrigerator until candy is firm.

To serve, cut into squares. — Judy, Connecticut

DEAR SUN SPOTS: This is the best recipe for fudge that I have ever tried. I believe I got it from Sun Spots many years ago. I never could make fudge until I found this recipe for microwave fudge.

Be sure you have everything ready before you start, even the fluff out of the jar, and on a flat plate.

Ingredients

12-ounce package of chips, any flavor

1½ sticks of butter

3 cups sugar

2/3 cup of evaporated milk

1 7-ounce jar of marshmallow fluff

Directions

In a 2-quart microwaveable bowl, melt the butter for 90 seconds. Add sugar and evaporated milk. Stir.

Microwave for 3 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 3 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 2½ minutes. Stir.

Take out of microwave and stir in chips until they are melted. Add fluff, stir fast and good. Pour into greased 9- by 13-inch pan, and refrigerate until firm. — Marilyn Rice, stanandmarilyn@gmail.com

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