Tag: cream cheese

Homemade Cream Cheese – The Labneh Way

This recipe video is inspired by a Lebanese yogurt cheese
spread called Labneh, but I decided to call it homemade cream cheese because my
sources deep inside Google tell me that “cream cheese” is searched for more
often than “labneh.” In fairness, and with apologies to my Lebanese fans, it really is
almost identical in texture and mouthfeel.

Like I say in the video, the taste is a bit bolder and
tangier than that stuff from Philly, but when is that ever a bad thing? Michele
found some amazing sheep’s milk yogurt at a local farmer’s market, and it was
incredible in this, but I’ve used regular yogurt and it works wonderfully as well.

You can use it as you would any commercial cream cheese, but
the honey and pistachio variation I tacked on to the end would make for a
memorable holiday brunch addition. On the savory side, you can’t beat simply
drizzling over some olive oil and eating as a spread with crispy bread or pita
chips.

Most recipes for this say you can eat it after one day, but
I really think the two-day “aging” and pressing process does great things. The
taste mellows out a bit, and the texture gets even denser and richer feeling. Besides,
if you don’t press it, you won’t get those signature, and ultra sexy
cheesecloth fabric marks! I hope you give this homemade cream cheese a try
soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about two heaping cups of cream cheese:

1 quart yogurt, try to get something really nice from a
dairy, or use Greek-style

1 tsp kosher salt or to taste

cheesecloth
*If needed, use a paper towel to blot off any additional moisture that come to the top during the 2-day pressing in the fridge.

Note: I’ve only made this one way, so I’m not sure what
happens if you deviate from the recipe and use low-fat yogurt, etc. Let me know
if you try something different!

Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip – A Snack So Nice, You Finish it Twice

Nothing says, “this party rocks” like a creamy, cheesy,
baked dip, and when you’re talking about a hot crab and artichoke dip, people
have been known to put an extra choice word or two before “rocks.” If only
there were a big event coming up soon to test this theory.

Not only is this additive dip easy to make, it works with
any budget. You can load it up with the finest fresh crab, use frozen or
pasteurized lump crab meat, or even canned in a pinch. By the way, (and off the
record) I’ve had these made with fake crab, and it wasn’t bad at all.

While the loaf of bread base does make for a nice
presentation, not to mention recycled after party snack food, you can simply
bake this in a casserole dish as well. As I mentioned in the video, I had a
little extra leftover, and if this happens to you, give it a try as a stuffing
for ravioli, wontons, or other dumpling-like delivery systems.

No matter which team they’re rooting for, all your guests
will be cheering for more of this delicious baked dip. By the way, nothing
beats watching your friends play tug-o-war with the crust once the dip is gone.
I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions of Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped green onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh chopped tarragon
leaves

zest and juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

1 pound lump crab meat, drained

1 (14-oz) can artichoke bottoms

6 oz white Cheddar cheese, divided

1 large round or oval loaf sourdough bread

About 30 min at 375 degrees F.

Incoming search terms:

Red White + Blue Fruit Pizza

My slimmed down fruit pizza^[1] was such a hit I decided to make a red, white and blue version using blueberries and raspberries for my stars and stripes for the Fourth of July! If you don’t recall, this is a lightened up white chocolate chip cookie bar topped with cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit – delish!

Madison helped me make this American flag and carefully placed the “stars” onto the frosting. She also helped me taste-test the final product to make sure it tasted yummy – she approved!

You could also used sliced strawberries if you prefer, but using raspberries didn’t require any cutting, so it was pretty quick to assemble.

Wishing you all a happy Fourth of July weekend!

Red White + Blue Fruit Pizza
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 28 • Size: 1 bar • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 144 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 24.5 g • Fiber: 1.5 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 17 g
Sodium: 77 mg • Cholesterol: 10 mg

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour (Gold Medal)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

For the Frosting:

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

To Assemble:

1 1/2 cups blueberries
2 cups raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 x 1.375 inch non-stick baking pan (quarter sheet pan) with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.

In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Spread the batter onto the baking pan using the back of a measuring cup to smooth evenly.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don’t over-bake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well-blended.

Spread the frosting evenly over the surface of the cookie, leaving a small margin around the edges. Layer the fresh fruit over the frosting. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve, cut the bars into 28 pieces (I did 7 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife).

References

^{^} slimmed down fruit pizza (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)