Sunday, September 30, 2012

Make Your Own Boursin Cheese



When I first went to college I was NOT a cheese eater. Okay, maybe a slice of American Cheese (yellow only -- at that point I had never even seen white American cheese), but that was it. Ah, but the mid-70's were rife with Wine and Cheese parties, even among the college crowd striving for sophistication. What was a girl to do? Enter Boursin Cheese (pronounced boor-SAHN)

 According to Food.com: Boursin is a modern, creamy, rind-less fresh cow's milk cheese of cylindrical shape with added garlic and herbs or black pepper. The cheese was created by Francois Boursin in 1957. It has a rich, sweet flavor with a hint of acidity. This cheese is sold in an corrugated-foil wrapper and is used as a table cheese for spreading and baking. 


Boursin became a staple in my dorm room fridge. Served with Triscuits or Wheat Thins, it was my gateway drug. I lost track of it over the years as my taste in cheese grew from Boursin to Brie to Blue. The stinkier the better is my cheese preference now, and yet at times there is still a place for a creamy, herb-y addition to the cheese plate.


Here is an easy, adaptable recipe for homemade Boursin cheese. It's a great way to use up the herbs in your garden, but dried herbs from the pantry work well too. Use what you like, or what you have on hand. Its fun to experiment with different herb combinations. Enjoy it with crackers, spread on a wrap in place of mayo, or stuffed between the skin and meat of a chicken breast before roasting.  Here's to the 70's!!






Homemade Boursin Cheese (herbs and amounts are merely suggestions)



2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz butter (1 stick), at room temperature
16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 t  fresh basil, chopped; or 1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t chives, chopped
1 t fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 t dried
1/2 t chopped sage, or 1/4 t dried sage
1/2 t chopped rosemary leaves, or 1/4 t dried rosemary
2 T minced fresh parsley

Combine cream cheese and butter with a fork, Add garlic and thoroughly combine.





Add herbs with a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Taste. Add more herbs to taste.

Store in fridge for 1-2 weeks, or freeze.


I put mine in small containers, perfect for moving from fridge to table.


Bring on the Wheat Thins!

1 comment:

  1. Oh, boy, does this bring back memories! My first year in NYC, this was the "go to" cheese for parties. Was I ever thrilled when I bought an herb blend at a craft fair that enabled me to recreate it at home! It never quite had the proper, slightly crumbly texture, though. What about using softened goat cheese? I just bought some, and am going to try this for a party this week. And yes, I bought Wheat Thins AND Triscuits (original versions ... retro all the way)!

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