Chocolate Mint Pound Cake

Chocolate Mint Pound Cake

1/2 c butter or margarine, softened 4-oz (1/2 of 8-oz pkg) cream cheese, softened 3/4 c granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 c all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 2/3 c (10-oz pkg) HERSHEY'S Mint Chocolate Chips, divided use 3 to 4 drops green food color (optional)

Mint Chocolate Chip Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 325�F. Grease and flour 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan. Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir in flour and baking powder; stir in 1 c mint chocolate chips (reserving the remainder for glaze) and green food color, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 min or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Cool 10 min; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Prepare Mint Chocolate Chip Glaze; spread over top of cake, allowing glaze to run down sides. Cool completely. Makes 10 servings.

Mint Chocolate Chip Glaze: Place remaining 2/3 c mint chocolate chips and 2 tbsp vegetable shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 sec to 1 min or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.

What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog...... Dwight D. Eisenhower

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