Love My Philly

Talk to any Philly enthusiast and they’ll tell you cream
cheese pairs well with almost any food. It’s an excellent addition to thousands
of desserts, makes addicting party dips, and can even be used to make pasta
sauce. It’s not hard to imagine cream cheese stuffed into French toast or
layered in lasagna, but what about cream cheese and … anchovies? Hmmm… there
are some “unique” cream cheese combos that people claim to truly enjoy.
Interesting pairs I like are Philly with jicama, Philly stuffed baked plums,
and cream cheese with edamame. Here are a few other crazy combos…

Philly + Spicy Cheeto’s

Philly + Oranges
(think creamsicle)

Philly + Brussels Sprouts

Philly + Curry Sauce

Philly + Summer Squash

Philly + Pistachios

Click the link below for my Baked Philly Plums Recipe!

Read more… »

It’s February 2008 and you’re one of the lucky people flying
on JetBlue. Seemingly out of nowhere, a breakfast filled box lands in your lap,
but no one is asking you to fork over twelve bucks. This, my jet set friends,
is the Breakfast from Heaven and
guess what? It’s FREE! In February, the good folks at Philly will treat 500,000
JetBlue passengers to the excellence that is their New 1/3 Less Fat PHILLY. These
scrumptious boxes of goodness will be given out on selected flights, while en
route to many major cities such as New York, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago
and Vegas! Complimentary breakfast that includes a delicious, lower fat version
of Philly … sounds heavenly to me!

I am very aware that Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a highly versatile food. Not only do I enjoy it in its creamy, natural state on a regular basis, but also in cheesecake, muffins, pastas, and of course, frosting!  The other night, I was having dinner at my friend’s house. Being the nosy foodie that I am, I poked my head into the kitchen and saw a huge can of yams sitting on the counter. “Hmmm … I prefer fresh yams,” I thought to myself. Not wanting to be a rude guest, I didn’t mention that I wasn’t looking forward to eating yams out of a can. I figured I would just push them around my plate and be done with it. When dinner was ready, we all sat down. On my plate,

staring up at me, was a large pile of orange yams. I began eating around them, then flattening them out with my fork, and just as I was thinking I could escape without trying these tubers from a can, my friend’s husband, who made the dinner says, “Do you like the yams?” “Oh, umm, I actually haven’t tried them yet.” “Well, try ‘em,” he

Read more… »

Ok my fellow Philly fans … there are 2 nifty new tools at CreamCheese.com! The first is a party planning widget that lists tons of cream cheese recipes, all categorized by occasion.

Whether you need a recipe for fancy appetizers or Valentines Day, you can just click on the category that suits you and have oodles of options at your finger tips. My favorite part of this little widget is the “party math calculator.” I think one of the hardest parts of planning a party is deciding how much food you’ll need or how much wine to buy for the number of guests invited. This tool figures it all out for you, from meat and wine to coffee for a crowd. This way you won’t end up running out of anything or having massive amounts of leftovers.

The other cool gizmo worth checking out is the cheesecake customizer. Now, if youarea cheesecake addict, you’ll definitely have fun with this.

If you’ve never made a cheesecake and want to try baking your first one, this will make it easier than ever.

Not only can you opt to make a baked or no-bake cheesecake, but also you can choose the flavor of crust, filling, and topping! The last step asks you to name your cheesecake. The recipe then appears along with a widget you can add to your own blog or website so all your friends can test out your custom made Philly Cheesecake. Yum! Be sure to check both of them out at CreamCheese.com!

This super-easy, low-fat snack contains a good source of vitamin C from the strawberries.

1 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Blueberry Light Cream Cheese Spread

1 HONEY MAID Honey Graham, broken crosswise in half (2 squares)

2 strawberries, sliced

SPREAD half of the cream cheese spread onto each graham square.

TOP with strawberries.

This is a great-tasting dessert that would be perfect for occasions like a bridal shower or family reunion.

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

Grated peel and juice from 1 medium lemon

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

3/4 cup boiling water

2 cups ice cubes

2 cups sliced mixed strawberries, raspberries and blueberries

1 store-bought round sponge cake (10 inch)

BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add lemon peel and juice; mix well. Gently stir in whipped topping. Set aside.

STIR boiling water into dry gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until gelatin slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Add berries; mix well. Pour half of the gelatin mixture over cake. Spoon cream cheese filling evenly over gelatin layer. Top with remaining gelatin mixture.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until set. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

This cheesecake has a wonderful taste and texture and only 12 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Also, to cut down on fat you can use 4 bars or 1/3 less fat cream cheese.

1/2 cup ground PLANTERS Almonds

3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar substitute

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

4 eggs

1 pt. (2 cups) fresh raspberries

PREHEAT oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Spray bottom of pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with almonds.

BEAT Neufchatel cheese, cream cheese, sugar, sugar substitute and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 50 to 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Top with raspberries just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 16 servings

This delightful New York-Style cheesecake is delicious for any occasion.

1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 tsp. vanilla, divided

1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream, divided

4 eggs

2 cups strawberries, sliced

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. of the sugar; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup of the remaining sugar and 1 tsp. of the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 1 cup of the sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Mix remaining sour cream, 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla until well blended; carefully spread over cheesecake. Bake an additional 10 min. Cool. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Lift cheesecake from pan, using foil handles. Top with strawberries just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

This delicious chocolate cheesecake will silence any family’s dessert cravings.

1-1/2 cups crushed OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (about 18 cookies)

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted, slightly cooled

3 eggs

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Strawberry Whipped Topping

1-1/2 cups assorted seasonal fruit, such as chopped strawberries and sliced kiwi

PREHEAT oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix crushed cookies and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 45 to 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Top with whipped topping and fruit.