Recipe: Honey and Walnut Cream Cheese Spread

I started making this after having this combination at a local bagel place. It really is so tasty, a wonderful go-together with bagels or English muffins.

Just a few tips on making this….

The recipe below will fill a single serving Pyrex custard cup to heaping, just to give you an idea of the yield. The cream cheese spread doesn’t come out quite as creamy as the fruit flavored spreads … and depending on how many people you are serving and how many other flavored cream cheese spreads you are serving…. You may want more of this… I would probably double the recipe… leftovers are great on toast and English muffins… your family will love it… so it won’t go to waste.

Always, always let your guests know that there are nuts in this or any other food that has them. I like to put a little place setting card with the foods name on it in front of it… and I always indicate if nuts are in it… it leaves no doubt. You just never know if they have allergies. This spread really doesn’t show the nuts very much and someone could mistakenly assume it doesn’t have nuts. I knew someone that I worked with that had a deathly allergy to nuts, actually eat a piece of cake with nuts in it at a new family member’s party and ended up in intensive care. I was shocked that someone so allergic wouldn’t ask… but she didn’t… Do not ever assume someone will ask.

The recipe calls for finely ground walnuts... use your processor to grind them... just pulse until ground...and put the nuts in a small bowl while you cream the cream cheese.

I gave you the approximate measurement for the honey… I would eyeball it… it’s a royal pain to get honey off a measuring spoon…. Just drizzle it over the cream cheese and use your judgment … you’ll do fine. Start with about 2 tablespoons… taste it… if it’s sweet enough for you… then great… if not.. add more… I use closer to 3 tablespoons.

I specify Philadelphia cream cheese… and no, I don’t get paid to say that… I have tried store brands and frankly… it’s hit and miss… most often they just lack something… but that surely is a personal choice.

You can use either the brick style or whipped cream cheese... the brick style will take more processing than the whipped.. the whipped you have to be careful not to over mix it... just a few whirls does it. I usually use the brick style.

This is absolutely delicious… enjoy!

Honey and Walnut Cream Cheese Spread Recipe:

All you need:

1 brick (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese or large container whipped cream cheese
½ cup finely ground walnuts
2-3 Tablespoons honey

All you need to do:

Take a knife and cut off large chunks of the cream cheese and drop them in a food processor, spreading around the bowl.

Pulse the processor a few times to cream the cream cheese. Take a knife and scrape the sides of the processor bowl if needed.

Remove the lid and sprinkle the ground nuts on the cheese… then drizzle honey over the nuts and cheese.

Pulse the processor to mix thoroughly, scraping the sides as necessary.

Chill overnight.

Let stand at room temperature for about an hour until softened a bit.