Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Spread - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a new take on an old party favorite. Most folks have been at casual affairs where a brick of cream cheese, covered with pepper jelly, is served to guests. Many of us have prepared it for parties of our own and would agree that it is great football food. It's the essence of simplicity and, as such, is a boon for a busy host or hostess. While it's delicious, I do have a problem with its appearance. Once touched, the offering quickly begins to look like the remains of a massacre. Now I probably have a newfangled version of the "princess and the pea" syndrome, but I hate the way it looks, so, I took it upon myself to make something that would hold up better on the table. The ingredients have been only slightly altered and this new version retains the flavor of the old but is prettier for a longer period of time. It is important to note that the proportion of pepper jelly added to the cheese should not be increased. If that measurement is wrong you'll end up with a dip rather than a spread. The cheese will also need some additional heat added to it as it's whipped. While the recipe calls for cream cheese, you can replace one-third of that with chevre if you'd prefer another layer of flavor in the spread. I have also added additional heat to the mix. While I use Sriracha because I like its finished taste, any hot chili sauce sauce can be used. Just remember the pepper jelly adds heat as well, so go at it carefully. Red pepper jelly and chili sauce will give the spread a salmon hue. If you prefer a colorless spread, a plain pepper jelly can be used. Here's how the spread is assembled.

Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Spread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 (10.5-oz.) jar red pepper jelly
12 ounces cream cheese
1 to 2 teaspoons hot chili sauce (i.e. sriracha)

Directions:
1) Place jelly in bowl of a small food processor or blender. Pulse until mixture becomes spreadable. Set aside.
2) Beat cream cheese in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in 1/3 cup pepper jelly and 1 to 2 teaspoons hot chili sauce. Mix well.
3) Turn half of cheese mixture into a small serving bowl. Gently spread 1/3 cup pepper jelly over surface of cheese. Top with remainder of cheese. Spread top with remaining pepper jelly. Serve with rice crackers or another cracker of your choosing.
Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Liptauer Cheese Spread - One Perfect Bite
Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Butter - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.