Love My Philly

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When looking through recipes, there is a good chance you’ll run across an herb as an ingredient.  Are you familiar with the types of herbs and the best dishes to use them?  We have the answers for you. 

Tarragon
This aromatic herb, with narrow, pointed, dark green leaves, is known for its distinctive anise-like flavor. Use to flavor vinegars, herbal butter, shellfish, mayonnaise, sour cream dressing, poultry, turkey, mushrooms, broccoli, and rice. Use the fresh leaves in salads, tartar sauce, and French dressing.

Rosemary
Rosemary’s silver-green, needle-shaped leaves are highly aromatic and their flavor is one of both lemon and pine. Use for poultry, lamb, veal, pork, and tomato dishes, stews, soups, and vegetables. Also good finely chopped in breads and custards

Basil
Fresh basil has a pungent flavor that is very common and popular. Use it in tomato sauces, pesto sauces, vinegar, and with lamb, fish, poultry, pasta, rice, tomatoes and Italian dishes.

Dill
This tangy and pungent flavored herb is known for its feathery green leaves. Use to flavor fish and rice, sprinkle over potatoes and cucumbers and add to sauces and dips.

For more herb tips visit KraftFoods.com.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cupcakes are a favorite for children and adults.  Mini individual cakes with delicious icing can bring a smile to any one’s face.  If you enjoy baking cupcakes but need advice for baking and icing the perfect cupcake, we have amazing tips for you! 

• When pouring batter into cupcake liners, two-thirds full is best: If you overfill, batter could spill over. 

• An ice cream scoop is the pros’ tool of choice when it comes to portioning out batter for cupcakes. Spray the scoop with nonstick cooking spray so the batter will pour out easily.

 

• If you don’t fill all of the spots in a cupcake tin with batter, fill the empty spots with water: It will help the cupcakes bake evenly.

• Cupcakes follow the same rules for frosting as regular cakes: Let them cool completely before attempting to frost. The last thing you want is for the icing to melt and slide off the tops.

• To decorate the top of a cupcake with a swirl of frosting, simply place frosting in a freezer-weight resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner and twirl.

• To create a spiky look, frost the cupcake completely, then tap the top with a spoon to pull spikes of frosting up all over the top.

• When the cupcakes are cool, frost the tops all the way to the edge if you aren’t serving them immediately: The icing keeps them fresh and moist.

• An elegant and easy way to decorate any cupcake is to roll the edge in either a contrasting sprinkle or a matching sprinkle or crystal sugar.

For more tips, visit kraftfoods.com.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Who doesn’t love to enjoy the last course of a meal with a rich cup of freshly brewed coffee?  Serving coffee at various functions offers people a chance to mingle and spark interesting conversations.

Check out these helpful coffee tips, courtesy of KraftFoods.com

Tips for Brewing the Best Coffee
• Use fresh coffee.
• Use freshly drawn cold water – filtered water works best.
• Use a brewer that is free of lime buildup by running a pot of equal parts vinegar and water through the coffee maker, followed by a pot of water only to rinse.
• Transfer coffee to a thermal carafe to maintain the coffee’s flavor and texture.

How to Store…

After opening a new container of coffee, transfer coffee to a tightly sealed storage container and store in a cool dry place to ensure that the coffee maintains its full flavor characteristics.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Whether you’re planning a brunch, dinner or dessert gathering, coffee is key! If you’re hosting over 25 people, use a large percolator. Many schools, organizations and grocery stores have them on hand to lend or to rent out.

*Percolator Directions: Fill coffee urn with water. Place coffee in basket. Turn machine on. Allow at least 1 hour to percolate. The light will turn on and the percolator will stop automatically when coffee is ready.

So, you’ve got the guest list ready for your cookie exchange, what’s next? Read all about preparing for your grand cookie exchange here:

• Remind folks to bring large containers to collect and take their cookies home in

• Bake your own cookies and store them in airtight containers or freeze them

• Make an effort to have your house clean the day before the party so that on the day of the exchange, you can just tidy up and turn on some festive music

• Spend a few minutes decorating and preparing an area to display the cookies. For example, you can clear off the dining room table or set up a large folding table in the living room

• Have a selection of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, sparkling water, fruit juices or other refreshing beverages to enjoy while sampling the goods!

To learn more about cookie exchanges, check out KraftFoods.com

Cookie exchanges are the perfect opportunity to socialize with your friends. Plus, it’ll also give you a reason to bake!

For starters, it’s always important to plan ahead of time. About a week before the exchange, figure out how many cookies each person will need to bring. For instance, if you want people to go home with 1 dozen of each cookie type, and you are inviting 5 people plus yourself (6 people total) to the exchange, guests will have to bring 6 dozen of their cookie. Inform guests of the amount of cookies they will need to bring in advance.

If the number of people participating in the exchange gets too high, for example 10 dozen cookies sounds like too much for people to bake and bring,  you can cut it down to have everyone take home a  ½ dozen of each cookie instead of a full dozen. This will help reduce the amount of baking.

Ready to get the baking started?! Find creative recipes and more fun ideas for your cookie exchange when you follow us on Twitter!

Get ahead of your baking by preparing and freezing your favorite treats ahead of time. These storage tips, along with some of our best make-ahead recipes, will help you to get started.

Freezing Baked Cookies and Bars
 
• To freeze baked cookies, cool cookies completely, then wrap individual cookies tightly in plastic wrap. Place in freezer-style resealable plastic bags or airtight containers. Freeze up to 1 month. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature.
 
• To freeze brownies or bar cookies, cool brownies or bar cookies completely, but do not cut into individual servings. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again with foil. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature before cutting into individual servings.
 
• Chocolate-topped brownies or bar cookies should be frozen before topping. Follow directions for freezing brownies. After thawing, spread melted chocolate over the top of the brownies or bar cookies and cut into individual servings.

Cookie dough is a key item to have during any season. Why? It’s fairly simple– just roll them out, cut or shape, and bake in the oven! Great for entertaining, a traditional treat, and bake sales, cookie dough can be enjoyed anytime—that’s if you freeze them correctly!

Cookie dough can be frozen up to 6 weeks using this method:

• For slice-and-bake refrigerated cookies, shape dough into logs, then double wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze until ready to use, then just thaw, slice and bake as directed in recipe.
 
• For drop or shaped cookies, shape cookie dough into balls (or other shapes as directed in your recipe) then place on parchment paper or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze until dough is completely frozen. Transfer dough from tray to freezer-style resealable plastic bag; freeze until ready to use. When ready to bake, thaw frozen dough on baking sheets, then bake as directed in recipe.
 
• For cut-out cookies, pat dough into a disk and double wrap in plastic wrap. Place dough in freezer-style resealable plastic bag. When ready to use, thaw dough, roll out, cut into shapes and bake as directed in recipe.

Carrots are versatile root vegetables and are available year-round. They’re a welcome addition to soups, stews, salads and stir-fries. Carrots also perk up any meal when served as a savory side dish.

Purchasing

• Pick a bunch of bright-orange carrots that are straight and firm, not wilted or cracked. If the tops are attached, the leaves should be bright green and fresh.

• Cut off the tops before storing. Refrigerate unwashed carrots in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer for up to 2 weeks.

Preparing

• Before using carrots, trim both ends, peel and rinse with water. Young, tender carrots need no peeling. Rinse and scrub gently with a vegetable brush to remove any surface dirt.

• Cutting carrots diagonally into slices or chunks exposes more surface area to the heat and makes them cook more quickly.

• Shred raw carrots on the large holes of a grater or in a food processor.

• Cooking enhances the natural sweetness of carrots. Steam, boil or microwave in a small amount of water. For the best flavor and texture, cook carrots just until crisp-tender.

• Roast carrots by cutting them lengthwise into halves and then into 1-inch chunks. Coat the chunks lightly with oil and roast on a baking pan in a 400°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

• Dill, tarragon, orange, mustard, brown sugar, honey and nutmeg are flavors that go well with carrots.

Check carrot recipes on Love My PHILLY here.

As you’re probably aware, Love My PHILLY has a lot of cheesecake recipes! Some of you have probably tried a few of our famous cheesecakes, but how do you store them? Try freezing your cheesecakes, so you can enjoy them throughout the seasons—anytime, anywhere!

• Prepare cheesecake as directed, omitting any topping added after baking. Cool completely. Wrap cheesecake tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw wrapped cheesecake in refrigerator overnight.

• Cheesecake may be cut into individual slices prior to freezing. Place unwrapped slices on parchment paper or wax paper-lined tray in freezer until surface is frozen. Wrap slices tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap again with foil. When ready to serve, microwave individual slices on DEFROST (30%) for 45 sec. to 1 min. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

For more information on freezing cheesecakes and other baked goods, visit KraftFoods.com.