If you haven't tasted Boursin (R), you're missing something. Boursin is a spreadable cow's milk cream cheese that comes in five flavors. My fave is flavored with garlic and herbs. It's great as a spread on a crusty baguette or on crackers or stuffed into jalapeno poppers. It is also wonderful as a sauce dolloped on a hot steak, asparagus, or in with mashed potatoes. Boursin was created in 1957 by Francois Boursin, a cheesemaker in Normandy, France. The brand is now owned by multi-national Unilever. You can buy Boursin in many groceries, but it is fairly easy to make something similar at home for a fraction of the cost.
Yield. 8 ounces Preparation time. 10 minutes Ageing time. 4 hours or more is best
Ingredients
8 ounce brick of cream cheese (you can use low fat) or spreadable
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground and finely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fines herbes (Fines herbes is a classic mix you can buy in a bottle. It contains parsley, chives, tarragon, chervil, and occasionally marjoram)
Option. 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
Do this
1) Let the cheese sit at room temp for about an hour to make it easy to mix. Low fat or spreadable cream cheese are easy to work in 15 minutes or less. Or microwave it for 10 seconds to soften it.
2) Blend in the seasonings with a fork. Let it age in the fridge for 4 hours or more if possible. This allows the oil-soluble flavors in the herbs to be extracted and marry with the cheese.
3) It is easier to spread on breads and crackers at room temperature. If there is any left over, plop it onto some plastic wrap and roll it into a ball with the plastic tight against it and refrigerate.
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