Description
Creamy Confit Garlic Cream Cheese promises a luxurious journey through rich French culinary traditions. Mediterranean warmth and silky textures blend seamlessly, inviting you to savor each delectable spread on fresh bread or crackers.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 (8 ounces / 226 grams) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 heads garlic, peeled
Cooking Liquid:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil (add more if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to a gentle 250°F (120°C), creating a low-temperature environment for transforming raw garlic into meltingly soft confit.
- Select whole garlic cloves and nestle them into a deep baking dish, completely submerging the cloves in olive oil to ensure even, slow cooking.
- Cover the dish securely and allow the garlic to slowly roast for approximately 2 hours, developing a rich, caramelized golden hue and velvety texture.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and permit the garlic and infused oil to cool naturally to room temperature, preserving the delicate flavors.
- Carefully measure out one-third cup of the roasted garlic cloves for the cream cheese preparation, storing the remaining garlic and aromatic oil in a sealed container for future culinary adventures.
- Transfer the selected roasted garlic cloves into a food processor or stand mixer, combining them with cream cheese for a smooth, uniform blend.
- Process the mixture on low speed for roughly one minute, ensuring the garlic integrates completely and creates a luxuriously creamy spread.
- Serve the garlic-infused cream cheese as a versatile condiment on bagels, sandwiches, or as an elegant dip for vegetables and crackers.
- Refrigerate any remaining cream cheese in an airtight container, which will maintain its quality for up to one week.
Notes
- Slow roasting transforms harsh garlic into silky, mellow flavor bombs with incredible depth and sweetness.
- Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the most luxurious confit texture and rich taste profile.
- Experiment with different cream cheese varieties like herb-infused or low-fat options to customize the spread’s personality.
- Leftover garlic-infused oil makes an incredible drizzle for salads, pastas, or roasted vegetables, maximizing ingredient potential.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 477
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 47 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 31 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg