Description
This Confit Garlic Cream Cheese recipe offers a luscious and creamy spread infused with sweet, mellow garlic slowly cooked in olive oil. Perfect as a flavorful addition to crackers, toast, or veggies, this recipe balances the richness of cream cheese with the aromatic depth of confit garlic and optional fresh herbs for a truly versatile and delicious accompaniment.
Ingredients
Scale
Confit Garlic
- 1 head of garlic (about 10-12 cloves)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to submerge garlic)
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Fresh herbs (optional, such as parsley, chives, or thyme)
Instructions
- Prepare the garlic: Peel the garlic cloves. For a milder flavor and easier peeling, you can slice the garlic in half before removing the skins.
- Cook the garlic: Place peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover completely with olive oil. Heat over very low heat, maintaining a gentle simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The garlic should become soft, tender, and golden without browning, allowing its flavor to mellow and sweeten.
- Cool the garlic: Remove the garlic cloves from the oil once soft and let them cool to room temperature. Reserve the garlic-infused oil for dressings or drizzling over vegetables to enhance flavor.
- Mash the garlic: Use a fork, the back of a spoon, or a food processor to mash the cooled garlic cloves into a smooth paste, depending on your preferred texture.
- Mix the cream cheese: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, mashed confit garlic, lemon juice (if using), salt, and black pepper. Blend with a hand mixer or whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add fresh herbs (optional): Stir in finely chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, or thyme to introduce additional fresh flavors.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate the cream cheese mixture for at least 30 minutes to meld the flavors. Serve chilled on crackers, toast, bagels, or as a dip with fresh vegetables.
Notes
- Use the reserved garlic-infused olive oil as a flavorful addition to salads, vegetables, or for cooking.
- Adjust the amount of lemon juice to taste for desired brightness.
- Add herbs according to your preference or omit if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If you prefer a thinner spread, mix in a small amount of reserved garlic oil to loosen the cream cheese.
