Paula Deen shares recipes; Your recipe can win cook-off, $25,000

The Real Women of Philadelphia Contest

Southern Cooking Queen Paula Deen and Philadelphia Cream Cheese are looking for the next big cooking stars. Registered members of the Real Women of Philadelphia can submit their original recipe videos featuring Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Philadelphia Cooking Creme.

“After meeting and following all of these amazing, passionate, creative women throughout the first season of Real Women of Philadelphia and seeing how this program positively impacted their lives, I knew we had to have a second season," said Paula Deen. “I am honored to be a part of a program designed to empower women through the passion of cooking; something that is so close to my heart.”

At the end of the eight-week competition, four lucky finalists will be chosen in each of four categories by a distinguished panel of judges. These 16 finalists will have the opportunity to meet Paula Deen in person and compete in a cook-off at the 2^nd Annual Real Women of Philadelphia Live Event on June 30 in Savannah, GA for the chance to be crowned the winner in their cooking category.

The four winners will each receive a talent contract worth $25,000, star in their own cooking videos, contribute to a cookbook featuring the community’s favorite cream cheese recipes from the season, and host the Real Women of Philadelphia community.

Week 5 Appetizer Cream Cheese 12:01am EST, Monday, May2, 11:59pm EST, Sunday, May 8

Week 6 Side Dish Cooking Creme 12:01am EST, Monday, May 9, 11:59pm EST, Sunday, May 15

Week 7 Entree Cream Cheese 12:01am EST, Monday, May 16, 11:59pm EST, Sunday, May 22

Week 8 Dessert Cream Cheese 12:01am EST, Monday, May 23, 11:59pm EST, Sunday, May 29

Paula Deen Recipes

To help celebrate Mother's Day, Paula sent me some of her favorite recipes to share with you.

Recipes include:

• Strawberry Shortcake
• Nutty Orange Coffee Cake
• Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts
• Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
• Cream Cheese Filled Biscuits

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:
1 large angel food cake
Directions
For the custard:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
For the glaze:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons strawberry gelatin (recommended: Jell-O)
1 cup water
2 cups fresh strawberries cut in 1/2 (if berries are extra large, they can be cut into quarters)
Whole fresh strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish
Slice cake, using a serrated knife, horizontally into 3 equal layers.
For the custard:
Mix together cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipped topping in a bowl; set aside.
For the glaze:
In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin; add water. Cook stirring over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Fold in strawberries.
For assembly:
Place 1 layer of cake in a large clear bowl. Top with a layer of glaze, followed by a layer of custard mixture. Repeat layering in this order for remaining cake, glaze and custard. Top cake with 3 whole fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: 10-12 servings
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen and Simon and Schuster, Just Desserts cookbook

Nutty Orange Coffee Cake
Ingredients:

¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tsp orange zest
Two 12-oz cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)
One 8-oz pkg cream cheese
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, pecans, and zest; set aside.
Separate the biscuits. Place about ¾ teaspoon cream cheese in the center of each biscuit. Fold each biscuit in half over the cheese, pressing the edges to seal.
Dip the biscuits in melted butter, then dredge in the granulated sugar mixture. Place the biscuits curved-side down, in a single layer in the hollows of a lightly greased 12-cup bundt pan, spacing them evenly (do not stack). Place any remaining biscuits around the tube, filling in any gaps.
Drizzle any remaining butter over the biscuits, and sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Immediately invert the cake onto a serving platter. Combine the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice, stirring well; drizzle the glaze over the warm cake. Serve warm.
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen


Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts

Ingredients:
12 vanilla wafers
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (21-ounce) can cherry filling, or other pie filling
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a muffin pan.
Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Place a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with cherry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.
Servings: 12 tarts
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen


Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
Chocolate and honey flavored graham crackers and fruit
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
Add the marshmallows and chocolate morsels. Stir to combine well.
Cover and chill for 2 hours. Form the mixture into a ball, then roll it in walnuts.
Arrange the cheese ball on a serving platter and serve with graham crackers and fruit.
Serves 10-1100
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen


Cream Cheese Filled Biscuits

Ingredients
Milk
3 ounce cream cheese
2 cup Bisquick
Flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cut cream cheese into Bisquick and add enough milk to moisten. Place dough like mixture onto floured surface and knead two or three times.
Roll dough to desired thickness using a rolling pin and cut out with round cookie cutter. Place biscuits on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.
Serves 8-10
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Happy Mother's Day to you all.