With the holidays just around the corner, I thought this might be a timely post.
A couple years ago, I was looking at various recipes for homemade cheese spread for the holidays. One that really caught my attention was called "Kentucky Beer Cheese." After looking at a few different recipes I came up with my own smoky version.
Smoky Beer Cheese SpreadIngredients (4 1/2 lb batch):
2 lbs.
Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 lbs. Cream Cheese softened.
Paprika (to coat the cheddar)
1 - 12 oz. bottle Beer opened and at room temp.
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Ground Red (Cayenne) Pepper
1/8 tsp. Granulated Garlic (or powder)
Instructions:
1) Start by coating the cheddar cheese well with paprika, then cold smoke it for 1- 2 hours (temps below 100°). Apple and/or hickory smoke works well for this recipe.
2) While the cheddar is smoking: Open the beer to let it breath and go a little flat. Soften and whip the cream cheese with a fork, and set aside.
3) Shred the smoked cheese into a tub or large bowl.
4) Place the shredded cheddar and seasonings into a food processor and pulse a couple times. Turn on the processor and slowly pour the beer through the liquid chute and blend until it reaches a very smooth consistency.
Note: Do this step in 2 pound batches if making more than a single batch.
5) Add the cheddar/beer mixture to the cream cheese and thoroughly fold the two together into a creamy consistency. Go ahead and sneak a taste (you know you want to!
)
6) Refrigerate for at least a few hours. Overnight is better to give the flavors a chance to meld & mellow. When chilled it will firm up, but remain very smooth and spreadable.
This spread has a wonderful smoky, sharp taste that goes very well with summer sausage and multi-grain crackers. It makes a great holiday gift idea too.
Thanks, hope you enjoy!
