Kelly the Culinarian: Stand mixer Sunday: Basil cream cheese

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Stand mixer Sunday: Basil cream cheese

What a negligent blogger I've been! I'll try to be more diligent next week. It's so beautiful outside, who wants to cook? Not this kid!

I'm the master of party dips and during the summer, if there's a party, you can guarantee that's what I'm bringing. Now that I have my own herbs coming in, I can't wait to find a million different things to use them on. But since my tomatoes are not yet ripe, my hopes of sauces, bruschetta and stuffed tomatoes have not yet materialized.
So instead, I used my first little harvest of basil for some cream cheese that can be used as an appetizer or party dip.

Here's what you need

1 package (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese

1 handful fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1/4 Tablespoon dried dill

1/4 Tablespoon garlic salt

Pinch of pepper


Make sure you've allowed the cream cheese to soften. Also, when harvesting herbs, don't remove any more than one-third of a plant at a time, otherwise the plant will go into shock and die.

Harvest and chop the herbs right before making the dish and crush the dried herbs in your palm to release the flavors. Use the flat whipping paddle on the stand mixer and whip the cream cheese. Using a reduced-fat cream cheese allows you to taste the herbs more, in my opinion. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low until incorporated.

Refrigerating the dip for a few hours before serving help the flavors mingle. Serve with crackers or crudites.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I bet that would be good on a bagel, too!