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Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

July 9, 2018 by Lori Leave a Comment

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Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

I meant to share this garlic and herb cheese spread with you yesterday.  Somehow, however, the day got away from me.  But it’s here today!  And boy, let me tell you, this recipe is a keeper!  I can use this little beauty of a spread in so many ways, I don’t think I can think of them all.   I’ve used it in today’s post as a base for canapés and hors d’oeuvres.  You can actually use it as a dip.  But I originally developed it for a completely different purpose.

I have, in my mind, a recipe I’ve been trying to pull together, but so far have not gotten just right enough to share.  And a garlic and herb cheese spread features centrally in that recipe.  I made a couple of practice runs for this recipe I have in mind.  But I used a popular store-bought herb cheese spread.  I was not in love with the results.  The taste was not bad, but the texture and flavor were off.  I needed creamier and I needed a less sharp, more rounded, velvety taste profile.  So, I went recipe hunting.

I looked in lots of places for a good garlic and herb cheese spread, and as is usually the case, I ended up grabbing what I liked from this and that recipe, ultimately creating something that met my needs.

And THAT’S how we come by today’s recipe.

So let’s make this garlic and herb cheese spread

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

Today’s recipe is going to fly by, because it is just THAT easy.  But!  The final product is so deliciously full of flavor layers that one would think it was a very complicated recipe.

Why cream cheese AND mascarpone?  Cream cheese has a nice firm texture with a taste that finishes with a hint of sharpness.  Mascarpone is less firm with a taste that definitely speaks to sweet heavy cream.  They are the yin and yang that balance this cheese spread, and part of what I benefited from when combining different recipes.

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

First, pulse together the salt and the garlic in your food processor until it is mixed.

Then add the mascarpone, the cream cheese, the butter, and the olive oil.

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

Process for about 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

Then add the chopped herbs and process until combined.  Another 1-2 minutes.

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

Scoop it out into a bowl and chill for at least an hour.

Once chilled, it is ready for whatever you can dream up.

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

My first experiment was to create a delicious low-carb canapé.  Cucumber slices, with a generous dollop of garlic and herb cheese spread, topped with diced dry salami, and garnished with fresh chives.

Serve these at a party, and I guarantee they will disappear in no time!

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

And then, to experiment further with the versatility of this amazing cheese spread, I topped some multi-grain crackers with a generous amount, then piled some spiced deli roast beef, applied a few grinds of black pepper, and garnished with fresh parsley.

YUMMMMM!!!!

The nuttiness of the multi-grain, the velvety magic that is the cheese spread, the meatiness of the roast beef with fresh cracked pepper…yeah, you can see this was a winning combination.

But I still have that recipe in my mind’s eye, and I hope to bring it to you soon.  So, stay in touch.  In the meantime, however, enjoy this amazing garlic and herb cheese spread!

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

 

 

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread

Lori
This spread can be assembled in 10 minutes or less, but it will require at least an hour for chilling, so keep that in mind as you prepare it.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 2 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chives coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Fresh cracked pepper

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a food processor, add the salt, then press the garlic on top of the salt. Pulse until just combined.
  • Add the cream cheese, mascarpone, butter, and olive oil. Process for 1-2 minutes until combined and creamy.
  • Add a couple of grinds of black pepper, and then the herbs and process for another 2 minutes.
  • Transfer to a glass bowl and chill for at least one hour before use.

Notes

Use as a base for canapés and hor d'oeuvres, as a sandwich spread, or in any variety of ways.

Thanks for sharing!

Filed Under: Brunch, Snacks and Party Food Tagged With: Canapé, Cheese Spread, Chives, Cream Cheese, Flatbread Pizza Topping, Garlic and Herb, Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread, Hors d'oeuvre, Low Carb, Mascarpone, Parsley, Party Food, Sandwich Spread, Tarragon

Previous Post: « Lingonberry Margaritas – When Sweden Goes South of the Border
Next Post: Olive Oil and Garlic Spaghetti »

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