cream cheese - Oh Bite It

~Belle Chevre!

ohbiteit — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 00:40:24 +0000

BEHIND EVERY GREAT CHEESE

there’s a story

Belle Chevre has been making fine goat’s milk cheeses in the tiny town of Elkmont, Alabama for 30 years! We are a passionate company dedicated to using time tested, even ancient, recipes and then putting our own modern spin on them producing some of the best goat cheeses made on the planet. We come from a beautiful history not just from the recipes we use, but from the women makers – from Liz Parnell to Viola Mills to our current chief cheese, Tasia Malakasis. These women, and our current amazing staff of cheesemakers including Terry Mitchell, ensure that the quality and craftsmanship continues to elevate and innovate.

When it all began with a goat dairy and a cheese lover! Liz Parnell, a world-traveler and cheese lover, especially french-style goat’s milk cheeses, was taking a country drive with her granddaughter and happened upon a small goat dairy in Elkmont, Alabama. This interlude grew into a partnership to make their own brand of goat cheese. The ancient recipe started earning her accolades, awards and placement in the cache cheese shops in the country and even at the White House table!

Tasia Malakasis, an Alabama native, was searching mid-career for a way to follow her passion for food and enrolled in culinary school at the Culinary Institue of America. While in culinary school she happened into the flagship Dean and Deluca (fancy food store!) in Manhattan and was looking at cheeses from all over the globe and found one that said on the label, “made in Elkmont, Alabama”. Surprised to find a product made in her home state and so close to where she grew up in NYC, this started Tasia’s path back home to become a cheesemaker. She came “home”, worked for Liz for free for 6 months and then acquired the business from her in 2007. Viola! A new era was born.

A new look and feel for the brand was created – Tasia wanted Belle Chevre not just in Dean and Deluca but also in every day stores for everyday people. Belle Chevre launched new products including a goat cheese cheesecake that took BEST DESSERT at the World Dairy Innovation Awards, landed on Oprah’s O List, lauded by the NYTimes and more. The product list expanded and so did the distribution. Tasia’s mission was to spread the Belle Chevre gospel – that great products, made by wonderful people, could be available to everyone at every store!

Belle Chevre launches a new line of better-for-you cream cheeses that are not only incredibly delicious but good for your body! Your body and your bagel will love you for trying them.

Belle Chevre continues its mission to make amazing cheeses and spread the goat cheese gospel. Look for us in your favorite store and drop us a line to tell us what you think – we love hearing from you!

Meet Our Founder

Tasia Malakasis

“Cheese is more than milk culture and salt. It is energy and spirit taken from the maker. Sharing food is sharing part of who we are.”

Learn more about Tasia at tasiamalakasis.com

The post ~Belle Chevre! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Bagel Holes!

ohbiteit — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 12:27:25 +0000

Move over doughnuts, bagel holes are coming through! That’s right, we now have doughnut holes to even that delicious playing field! ..yeah umm, this is only fair. Bagels need their day in the sun.. and today is that day! 🙂

Not to mention that sometimes, ok.. ~~ALL~~ most of the time, we just want to pop a toasty, tender, cream cheese-stuffed, bagel bite into our mouths and continue on like nothing happened! Am I right? .. of course I am lol!

Go ahead and try to prove me wrong! 🙂

Make LOTS!

What you’ll need:

1 container of Pillsbury Pizza Crust (about 13 oz. if pizza dough)

water

salt

1 beaten egg

bagel seasoning.. your fave!

Cream cheese: any flavor you like, I used garden veggie, and jalapeno! *AND/OR adding some Smoked Salmon in there would also be SO AMAZING!

A pastry bag with tip OR a filling injector, like THIS ONE

Directions:

Pop open tube of dough and roll it into as many 1″ balls as you can…

Place bagel balls on floured surface, cover with damp paper towel, and let rise another 20 minutes. In the meantime, bring a stockpot of salted water to boil and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Boil each bagel ball approximately 2 minutes on each side and place on baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper…

Brush each bagel with the beaten egg and douse in the topping(s) of your choice…

Bake for 15 minutes to produce very soft, chewy bagels; 20 minutes for browner bagels with a crunch, let them cool.

Now, gently fill each bagel hole with the cream cheese! Use a pastry bag, or a filling injector (see above ‘what you’ll need)..

..and DIG IN! ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Bagel Holes! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Cream Cheese Pastry Puffs!

ohbiteit — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 02:50:47 +0000

Once in a while a recipe comes along that’s like the food equivalent of a “duh moment”…a sweet, simple, why didn’t I do this sooner..DUH moment!

This is one of those recipes, it’s so simple, yet so amazingly delicious, I should’ve done this years ago! But, I’m having no problem making up for lost time now..lol!

Warm, buttery and flaky dough puffs are filled with cinnamony cream cheese and topped with a subtle dusting of coarse sugar for the sweetest crunch! They literally melt in your mouth and leave you wanting more~many, many more!

~Whip up a quick batch the next time you need an impressive and succulent little dessert treat, any time of the day!

What you’ll need:

1 container of Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Biscuits (8 count)

8 oz. Cream Cheese ..softened

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 egg mixed with a splash of water for egg wash

Decorative Sugar for toping…regular Sugar will work too!

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cinnamon until it’s well blended, but don’t mix it so much that it’s runny (if that makes sense..lol)…

Roll out each biscuit just so it’s even and flat, place a heaping teaspoon or so of the cream cheese filling into the center of the biscuit…

Gently fold over each side, then roll it up, making sure to seal it up as you roll…

Place them onto a parchment lined sheet pan and brush them with some egg wash…

AND..a glorious sprinkling of the sugar…

Bake them at 350 degrees for approx. 12-15 minutes, OR until they’re golden, and a little puffy.

Let them cool, in fact..these are amazingly great with a little chill on them from the fridge!

You can even freeze them and keep them on hand as little ready-to-go dessert gems for family and friends that stop by!

Or for you to grab and go anytime you ‘need’ one..or two!

~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Cream Cheese Pastry Puffs! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Stuffed French Toast Bacon Bombs!

ohbiteit — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 14:19:30 +0000

Ahhh~~Finally a Breakfast BOMB!

It was only a matter of time until this explosion of devilish Bacon wrapped deliciousness made its way to our Breakfast table! And we are so happy it did!

This French Toast is the most unique French Toast you will ever have! Not only is it stuffed with smooth Cream Cheese, it’s also wrapped in Bacon, fried to a golden puff and then coated in Cinnamon Sugar and soaked with Maple Syrup!

~Can we get an AMEN~

What you’ll need for 16 flavor exploding Bombs:

1 container of Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Biscuits (8 count)

1 lb. Bacon

1/2 cup Cinnamon Sugar

1 8oz. block of Cream Cheese

Oil for frying~ I used Canola

skewers or toothpicks

Directions:

Cut each Biscuit into 2 equal halves.

Gently stretch each biscuit half out just a bit, and add a small scoop of Cream Cheese in the center, making sure NOT to over-fill them…

Now wrap each stuffed biscuit with a half slice of Bacon and secure them with a toothpick or skewer…

Fry them up in the 350 degree Oil, until they’re puffed and golden on ALL sides…

While they’re warm, toss them evenly in the Cinnamon Sugar…

Let them cool for a few seconds…

Now start popping them in your mouth…

Prepare for a flavor explosion of a lifetime…

Make sure the reach of these bombs is long range, in other words…SHARE!

Make sure and Syrup them up GOOD!

But don’t forget about your Bomb Diggity! ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Stuffed French Toast Bacon Bombs! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Cream Cheese Pumpkin Sugar Cookies!

ohbiteit — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 01:12:17 +0000

The Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies that made their debut here a while ago, were so highly requested that I just had to modify them for the fall season..you know..the season of all things ‘Pumpkin’..lol?!! And what a fun and delicious addition it was!

The Pumpkin made these cookies extra special with its subtle spice and rich, smooth texture! These are light, yet cakey and filled with a creaminess that only the cream cheese and Pumpkin can provide!

So super simple and this recipe makes approx. 2 and a half dozen cookies, so you can share the YUM!

~Plenty to share means plenty of people who will be begging you for the recipe~ so be prepared! 🙂

What you’ll need:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 egg

4 tbsp. butter..melted

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

sugar for topping..regular or decorative

An electric hand mixer helps, but isn’t necessary!

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the Butter and Cream Cheese until well blended…

Add in the Sugar…

And the egg, flour, vanilla and pumpkin, blend until smooth…

Scoop out approx. 1 tbsp. of the batter onto a parchment lined sheet pan, making sure to leave the batter in a dollop, and natural shape..(don’t flatten the batter)

Place them approx. 1-2″ apart and sprinkle them with sugar…

Bake them at 350 for approx. 12-15 minutes, just until they’re slightly golden and puffed.

Let them cool.

Serve them up…

There’s plenty to share…

So grab a bunch for YOU! ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Cream Cheese Pumpkin Sugar Cookies! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies!

ohbiteit — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 13:39:36 +0000

As I sit here at the computer struggling to find the words to adequately describe the sheer magnitude of awesomeness that is this cookie, it hits me..There are no words! Seriously, I can’t conjure up any adjectives that will do these cookies justice.

These cookies are just one of those things that you will have to trust me on, and go make as soon as you have some extra room in your skinny jeans.

I can’t even call them cookies, because they’re SO much better than just a cookie! Sweet, yet not too sweet, soft, but not too soft, rich, but not too rich! They will melt away in your mouth leaving behind no evidence other than the fact that you will be in a state of cookie euphoria for the better part of your day!

This recipe makes LOTS and trust me~ you will need them! Only share these with people you love and want to see for the rest of your life!

~You can even color these babies for the holidays and suddenly become everyone’s favorite guest! 🙂

What you’ll need for approx. 2-3 DOZEN Cookies:

8 oz. Cream Cheese..softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter..softened

1- 1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:

1/2 cup decorative/sparkle/sanding sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl beat together the butter and the cream cheese…

Mix in the sugar…

And the flour…

Add in the rest of the ingredients (other than the decorative sugar for the topping) mix until it’s nice and thick and smooth as a baby’s bottom…

Place approx. one tbsp. scoop of batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with some decorative sugar…regular sugar will work too!

Bake them at 350 for approx. 15 minutes, or until they’re firm and slightly golden. Let them cool…

NOW~ sink your face into that heaven you’ve been patiently waiting a looong 15 minutes for! 🙂 ~Enjoy!

The post ~Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Fried Habanero Poppers!!

ohbiteit — Fri, 30 May 2014 13:15:45 +0000

Just in case all of my Jalapeño Popper recipes on here weren’t quite hot enough, just in case your eyes were still connected to your head and your lips stayed their same size after eating them~ I present to you Habanero Poppers! Super spicy, crispy crunchy, creamy and cheesy bites of HOT HEAVEN!

Now you can feel the extreme sizzling pleasure of a pepper in which not many people can partake! In fact, I don’t recommend these for those weak in the ‘constitution’…haha! Even I had to beg for a taste tester just to make sure they were…”SOOO GOOD” as reported back to me! So, I had to give one a try~ and surprisingly, the frying process removed quite a bit if their heat…but they were still super hot! It did help to have that cheesy, cream cheese filing ooze out and cool things off…a tiny bit! 🙂

These aren’t for everyone, but they sure are for some…a very brave, and thick-skinned some! So kick things up a few notches next time there’s a game on, and sit back and watch the ~~drunkards~~ brave people show off! ~

~Keep some Milk and Ice Cream close by for a chaser!

**HERE’S YOUR WARNING>>> THESE ARE ATOMIC!! Hot doesn’t begin to cover it! Please use common sense, protective gloves and lots of hand washing! DO NOT touch anywhere that means anything to you for the next day…haha! 🙂 BE CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING HOT PEPPERS!**

What you’ll need (and YES..you can sub regular Jalapeños if you’re a chicken..lol):

12-15 fresh Habanero Peppers

1 cup Cream Cheese..softened

3/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

The Batter:

2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (I do not recommend substituting regular bread crumbs)1-1/2 cup Water

1 cup Flour

1/2 cup Cornstarch

3/4 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tablespoon Garlic Powder

A pinch of Salt & Pepper

Oil for frying..I used Canola – enough so that you have about 2 inches of oil in your pot.

Dips such as Ranch or Blue Cheese to cool off each bite!

Directions:

Be prepared to handle dangerously HOT Peppers~

Now slice a slit on one side of each pepper, making sure not to go all the way through, just a small slice so you can stuff them…(there won’t be many seeds to remove)

In a medium bowl combine the Cream Cheese and Cheddar~ feel free to add any additional spices that you might like. Set it aside.

Now, prepare the batter~ In a medium/large bowl combine all of the above “Batter” ingredients, and mix well. Set aside..

Pour the Panko into a shallow bowl..set aside.

Gently and carefully fill each Pepper with some of the Cream Cheese mixture.

Dip each filled Pepper into the batter, making sure to leave the stem clean…

Roll the Peppers around in the Panko…get a nice and even coating onto them…

Set them near your oil, which should be heating up to 350 right now…

Gently place a couple into the hot oil and carefully roll them around to evenly brown them. Take them out when they’re golden and firm, let them drain on paper towel.

The heat of the oil actually removes some of the Pepper’s heat, but they’re still HOT so have some delicious dips handy…

Share them with every brave soul you know…

Give one a try~ be brave, and take a bite!! Come on….

Then have some Ice Cream…lol! ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Fried Habanero Poppers!! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Cheesecake Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls!

ohbiteit — Sat, 04 Jan 2014 14:06:46 +0000

Just when I thought I’ve seen everything that could possibly be sprinkled, slathered, swirled, and stuffed into a Cinnamon Roll~ along comes this idea that crashed into my head at just the right moment! 🙂

AND, I had everything needed to whip up a batch of these ooey-gooey, creamy sweet, cinnamony rolls from Heaven, all just waiting patiently for me in my kitchen!

These are SO easy and SOOO delectable, I suggest you log off the computer and go make you a few, and by a “few”, I totally mean as many as your tummy can handle! 🙂

What you’ll need:

The Filling:

1 container of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls (8 count)

1-8oz. block of Cream Cheese

1 cup of Powdered Sugar

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

The Frosting:

The remaining Cheesecake Filling leftover in the bowl, PLUS the enclosed Cinnamon Roll Frosting from the container

1/2 cup of Graham Cracker Crumbs..for sprinkling

Directions:

In a food processor, or with a spoon and muscles, mix together the Powdered Sugar, Cream Cheese and Vanilla..

Until it’s super smooth and creamy…

Slice/split each Cinnamon Roll down the center into equal halves…

Smear some of the Cheesecake filling inside each Roll and close them up.

Place each stuffed Roll into a muffin tin, or baking pan and bake them at 350 for approx. 15 minutes or until they’re firm all the way through.

With the remaining Cheesecake Filling still left in the mixing bowl, add the enclosed frosting from the Cinnamon Roll container, and blend it up until smooth. This is your frosting…

Put those babies out of the oven…

While they’re warm, but NOT hot, frost them with a swirl of the frosting mixture…

Now a light dusting of Graham Cracker Crumbs, for that authentic Cheesecake flavor!

Grab one, because you just can’t wait any longer…

Peel that paper back and say OMG!

Prepare for the BEST Cinnamon Roll..errr, Cheesecake EVER…

Sink your teeth into that fluffy, flaky Cheesecake stuffed, ooey-gooey Cinnamon Roll of succulent Heaven! Feel NO shame! ~Enjoy!

The post ~Cheesecake Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chip Jalapeno Poppers!

ohbiteit — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 11:51:10 +0000

In my never ending quest to create a lifetime variety of Jalapeno Poppers, I somehow created this new all-time favorite! This is what happens when I go to the grocery store in a snacky mood~ I end up buying the “Feed an Army” size bag of Chips that I will never eat. And by “never eat” I mean, nah…I’d totally eat them all…Ugh~

BUT…if you crush up those Chips and use them as an ingredient, it’s not so bad..right?! Especially when you add them to a healthy veggie like Jalapenos…now they’re total ‘health food’…LOL! 🙂

The Sour Cream & Onion Chips add the most amazing crunch and flavor to the creamy and cheesy Poppers. Crunchy~Cheesy~Salty~Spicy…the perfect snack! These will be a game day favorite, even if your idea of a “game” is just laying on the couch…all day!

~Make way more than you think you’ll need..trust me! 🙂

What you’ll need for 30 Potato Chip Poppers:

15 fresh, seeded and halved Jalapenos

2-3 cups of crushed Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips

2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

8 oz. Cream Cheese

A dash of seasoning~I used Cajun

**YES…you can add Bacon! Simply add crispy and crumbled Bacon into the Cream Cheese Mixture.

Directions:

CAREFULLY (they’re SPICY)~ split and seed the Jalapenos, set them aside…

Crush up the Chips, by hand or with a processor…

Until you get about 2-3 cups of coarse crumbs. Put them in a shallow bowl and set aside…

In a medium bowl combine the Cream Cheese, Cheddar and spices…

Fill each Pepper with some of the Cream Cheese mixture and top them with LOTS of those crushed Chips, really mound them on there good…

Bake them at 350 degrees, for approx. 25-30 minutes or until they’re slightly golden and the Peppers are soft & melty cheesy. If the Chips get too dark before they’re done to your liking, just cover them with some foil to finish cooking them.

Let them cool for at least 1 long minute before you lose complete control and burn yourself…lol!

Do the right thing and share…you can do it!

NOWWW you may have ~~one~~ ten! ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chip Jalapeno Poppers! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

~Churro Cookies!

ohbiteit — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:24:41 +0000

One of my favorite Cinco De Mayo snacks are Churros. They’re tender, warm and totally Cinnamony! I’ve tried and failed to make the authentic version at home, and much like my huge ‘Tamale fail of 2011’..this was a complete disgrace to the culture..lol!

~However, I did find a super simple way to master all that Churro greatness, without any of the embarrassment.

These Churro Cookies are honestly the best cookie I’ve ever had! All it takes is one bite and you’re hooked. They’re made from Pie Crust, so they’re beyond buttery, totally flaky and filled with sweet Cream Cheese. These have a melt in your mouth quality like nothing else your lips have ever experienced!

Make a batch of these for Cinco De Mayo, or anytime you want to indulge in the BEST cookie in the world!

In fact..make 2 batches! 🙂

What you’ll need for approx. 11 Churro Cookies (double for more):

4 oz Cream Cheese

3/4 cup Sugar..divided (1/4 goes into the Cream Cheese mixture & the rest is for the Cinnamon Sugar mixture)

Pillsbury Frozen/refrigerated Pie Crust (2ct.)…defrosted.

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 tablespoons Cinnamon

2 tablespoons melted Butter

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine the Cream Cheese, Vanilla and 1/4 of the sugar, set aside…

Unroll both of the Pie Crusts and smear one of them with the Cream Cheese mixture…

Place the other Crust on top and cut out your cookies. You can use whatever size cookie cutter you like…

With a fork gently mash down the edges to seal them…

Bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for approx. 12 minutes, or until they’re firm and slightly golden. Feel free to make Churro Twists out of the scraps..YUM!

Let them cool, and brush both sides of them with the melted butter…

Now..coat them very well in the Cinnamon Sugar (the remaining Sugar and the 2 tbsp. Cinnamon)…

Take a peek at how amazing the are…

Serve some up, make some friends…

A little more Cinnamon Sugar wouldn’t hurt anything…

Now go for it! ~Enjoy! 🙂

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