Three-Cheese Herb-and-Honey Spread

By hanley89

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 4 ounces fresh goat's-milk cheese (chèvre), at room temperature
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese (preferably sheep's-milk), at room temperature
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• Honey (preferably wildflower), for serving
• Roughly chopped fresh herbs (such as basil, chervil, tarragon, dill or parsley), for serving
• 1 small loaf sourdough bread, thickly sliced crosswise and lightly toasted

Details

Preparation time 45mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 350°. Cutting crosswise, slice off the top third of the garlic and discard. Set the bottom two-thirds of the head on a 12-inch sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle the olive oil over the exposed garlic cloves, then season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Wrap the aluminum foil loosely around the garlic and bake until the garlic cloves are golden-brown and a paring knife easily slips into a clove, about 45 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven and unwrap. Set aside to cool slightly, then squeeze the garlic cloves from the head. Remove 6 garlic cloves and add them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (reserve the remaining roasted garlic in an airtight container for up to 1 week).

2. To the stand mixer bowl, add the goat’s-milk cheese, ricotta, cream cheese and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Beat on medium speed until combined and there aren’t any large garlic pieces, scraping down the mixer bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Scrape the cheese mixture into a medium bowl and use the bottom of a spoon to make a well in the center. Drizzle the cheese with honey, then sprinkle with more pepper and the fresh herbs. Serve with the toasted sourdough.