Boursin

When one hears the word 'boursin,' chances are he does not even know what it is. Sure, it's the brand name of an herbed, spreadable cheese product found at your local grocer. Sure, it sounds fancy, ultra-gourmet and probably difficult to reproduce at home. I have to inform you that you would be dead wrong. 'Boursin' is pretty much a catch-all term for a delectable, rich herbed cheese blend that spreads excellently on table crackers or on small slices of bread for tea sandwiches. Homemade boursin recipes are actually quite elusive, so for your enjoyment, I'm providing my recipe. Do be aware that if you are serving this for guests that may not enjoy the flavor of garlic, cut the amount of garlic down from two cloves to one. However, don't get crazy with the garlic if serving to people who adore it - two cloves is the perfect amount. Serve this as part of your Christmas buffets or as an appetizer for any party or family get-together. Happy holidays, everyone!

Boursin

6 oz. reduced fat or fat free cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 medium cloves garlic

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped

1 tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped

¼ tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped

¼ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. freshly cracked pepper

In a bowl of a food processor, blend the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. You can also do this in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Grate in the garlic using a very fine grater or microplane and add to the cheese mixture. 

Stir in the lemon juice, herbs and pepper by hand; you don't want to pulverize the herbs down into nothing. Taste, and add more lemon juice, garlic or pepper, if desired.

To shape the cheese, line a small round bowl with plastic wrap and spoon the cheese mixture in. Smooth the surface and make sure there are no air bubbles. Fold the plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate until firm, at least four hours.

To serve, remove the cheese from the bowl, peel off the plastic and place on a decorative serving dish. Allow the boursin to sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes before serving with crackers or a sliced baguette.

Good beverage pairings would be a dry to medium bodied white wine (nothing fruity) or a good sparkling wine, such as prosecco or a high quality champagne.

Makes about 2 cups