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Toast Toppings Go Head to Head

Heather Dale — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:44:56 PDT

Taking time to enjoy some tea and toast is one of my favorite morning rituals. Some days I just put butter on my toast, and other days I want to mix it up with honey or jam. As evidenced by the plethora of options inside my fridge door, I seem to never have enough toppings! The problem is, when we slather on one of our favorite spreads, we're also adding additional calories, fat, and sugar to our breakfast routine.

Keep reading to see a chart on everything you need to know about common toast toppings like jam, honey, and chocolate spread.

Cooking Creme Coming Soon to a Store Near You

Susannah Chen — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:00:29 PDT

You may not have heard of cooking creme - yet. But according to Kraft's Philadelphia Cream Cheese, it's going to be the next big supermarket phenomenon. Early next year, Kraft Foods will launch Philadelphia Cooking Creme in stores, along with what's being called one of the largest ad campaigns in company history. "This is going to be one of the biggest launches that cheese and dairy has ever had," Philadelphia brand manager Adam Butler told Ad Age.

The refrigerated creme will come in four flavors: original, savory garlic, Santa Fe, and Italian herb and is designed to be used as a sauce for sautéing and pan-frying. A similar version is already available in Australian markets, where's it's being touted as having 60 percent less fat than regular cream.

Sounds like an interesting concept, but what's the point? Don't we already use cream cheese in everything from pasta to dips to cheesecake? Between cream cheese, neufchâtel, whipped cream, and sour cream, it seems to me the bases are all covered. What do you think of the concept? Would you buy it?

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Come Party With Me: Pre-Halloween Dinner - Dessert

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:15:01 PDT

Between planning a Halloween costume and cooking for a pre-going-out dinner, you probably don't have much time to make an elaborate dessert. That's why you shouldn't be ashamed to take some help from the grocery store and make brownies out of a box. However, be sure to jazz them up with cream cheese and give them a fabulous themed name like "scream cheese swirl brownies."

Follow this quick, easy, and foolproof recipe and none of your guests will know you didn't make the brownies from scratch. Throw in your favorite Halloween candy and you'll have a complete dessert spread in a matter of minutes. Check out the recipe here.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Sweet Bacon and Pear Pizza

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:45:56 PDT

In the Fall, when the pears are plentiful, I enjoy experimenting with new pear preparations. Doesn't this one for a pear pizza sound scrumptious and interesting? It's not a sweet dessert pie, but a savory entree that makes for a delicious dinner. The other toppings include brown-sugar-coated bacon, cream cheese, green onions, feta cheese, and fresh basil. Each ingredient provides a different texture that gives the pizza depth, complexity, and richness. Sliced into smaller pieces, it would be an excellent appetizer.

I'm betting this recipe's a winner, so learn how it's made after the jump.

What's Your Top Bagel Topping?

YumSugar — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:30:59 PDT

This bagel pic on the Breakfast Blog inspires me to change my bagel toppings with the seasons, taking advantage of heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers in the Summer, in addition to cream cheese. What do you like to put on your bagels?

Berry Tempting: Blueberry Cream Cheese Pies

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:00:43 PDT

Fresh berries and flaky puff pastry are always a winning combination. To keep up with our berry tempting recipe series, I made mini blueberry-vanilla cream cheese pies that are simple and delicious. I was a little zealous while filling them and clearly overdid it - thus, my pies popped open during baking. Regardless, they were still mighty tasty!

This recipe is a great staple to have on hand when you want to impress guests with pastries. Feel free to substitute another berry or flavor the cream cheese mixture with citrus zest or a different extract. My next round will be raspberries with a lemony cream cheese. Get started on your own pocket pies by reading more.

Finally! I've Found an Amazing Onion Dip

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:00:28 PDT

I'm a huge fan of dips: I serve them at all my parties and am constantly searching for the best dip recipes. Although I've made classic onion dip a couple of times, I've been disappointed with the variations I've tried. None of them tasted better than the onion dip from a seasoning packet. I was just about to give up on homemade onion dip, until one day, while browsing Katie Lee's book, The Comfort Table, I stumbled upon her recipe. It seemed simple enough and since it would pair well with brie-stuffed burgers, I decided to make it. Good thing, because - finally - I've found a wonderful onion dip! It's thick and creamy with a rich caramelized onion flavor. Lee recommends serving it with homemade potato chips, but I paired it with thick-cut Kettle Chips and it was absolutely delicious. Warning: it's an addictive dip; you might just eat it all! Here's her recipe.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 May 2010 04:00:48 PDT

Over the weekend, my guy and I stopped by our favorite cupcake place in the city, Kara's Cupcakes, for a sweet treat. There, we sampled a seasonal strawberry flavor. Although he enjoyed it, I wasn't as big of a fan since it was topped with cream cheese frosting. For some inexplicable reason, with the exception of red velvet cake, I dislike cream cheese frostings on desserts like cupcakes and carrot cake. How do you feel about the matter?

Get Your Grill On With Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños

partysugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:00:01 PDT

Recently my friend Jeffrey bragged about an amazing appetizer - cream-cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped grilled jalapeños - he had made for a party. Never one to be outdone, I decided immediately to make bacon-wrapped cheese-filled jalapeños that were better than his. After scouring the Internet for the perfect recipe, I chose one from Food Network because it incorporates sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil in the cream cheese mixture.

The resulting appetizer is wildly delicious, intensely spicy, and downright addictive. The most difficult part is removing the seeds from the jalapeños without cutting the entire pepper in half. For best results I recommend using a sharp paring knife and small spoon. To look at the recipe,

Taste Test: Philadelphia's New Cream Cheese Flavors

partysugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:45:07 PDT

Recently I got my hands on Philadelphia Cream Cheese's new flavors: sundried tomato and basil, and spinach and artichoke. Cream cheese on crackers has always been one of my secret single-girl snack foods, so I was delighted to sample the savory spreads. To find out what I thought of them,

read more. The cream cheese comes in the standard 8-ounce circular tub packaging. They're both smooth, creamy, and ideal for snacking. Selecting the correct cracker is key; a seasoned or seeded cracker will overpower the flavor of the spreads. Sun-dried Tomato and Basil: With tiny flecks of sundried tomatoes and a pale orange color, this spread is slightly sweet. The taste of basil comes after the sundried tomato, while the regular flavor of cream cheese is apparent. This would be great for making a savory cheesecake. Spinach and Artichoke: This spread has actual small chunks of spinach and artichoke with a strong flavor of artichoke. It's salty but not overly so. The classic flavor of cream cheese is missing, but it doesn't matter, because it tastes like a classic spinach artichoke dip. Overall, Yum and I greatly enjoyed these cream cheese flavors. While we could not decide on a favorite, the spinach-artichoke was finished before the sundried tomato. I always have cream cheese on hand, so I may add one of these flavors to the rotation. I imagine they would be delicious in dishes like scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, or cheesy dip. Has anyone else tried these cream cheeses? What did you think of them?

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