Herb Cheese

This is a homemade version of Boursin-style herb cheese spread that you can make in about five minutes with ingredients you probably already have. Cream cheese and butter blended with parsley, chives, marjoram, thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper. After a few hours in the fridge, the herbs infuse the cheese and the whole thing firms up into a creamy, spreadable block.

Crumbling the dried herbs between your fingers before mixing is the step that releases their essential oils and wakes up their flavor. Whole dried herbs sitting in cream cheese won’t contribute much. Crushed herbs bloom and distribute their flavor evenly throughout.

The butter mixed in with the cream cheese makes the spread silkier and more spreadable than cream cheese alone. It also carries fat-soluble herb flavors more effectively, so every bite tastes herby rather than just creamy with occasional herb flecks.

Spread it on crackers for an appetizer, or use it as the base for a veggie sandwich loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, and sprouts.

Kitchen Tips

• Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature before mixing. Cold cream cheese won’t blend smoothly
• Make this a day ahead. The flavors develop significantly overnight in the fridge
• Shape it into a log wrapped in plastic for a more presentation-ready format
• It keeps well in the fridge for about a week

Variations

• Fresh herb version: Use fresh herbs instead of dried (triple the amounts) for a brighter, greener spread
• Everything bagel: Roll the outside of the shaped log in everything bagel seasoning
• Sun-dried tomato: Mix in a tablespoon of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a Mediterranean twist