Spiced Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread

A little brown sugar, along with cinnamon, chili and chocolate, adds an appealing hint of heat to velvety cool cream cheese. Top with chocolate curls and cocoa powder then serve with ginger snaps or shortbread cookies for a pretty deconstructed cheesecake to share with friends.

Down the Tracks

On a recent visit to my hometown I had some time to visit the county seat. It was nice to spend some time walking around the courthouse square. For a full morning I lingered, retracing my steps and stirring memories. I walked through the courthouse and around the block where I took my driving test in Aunt Betty‘s old Chevy when I was sixteen. On Main Street, along the railroad tracks was the diner where I ate lunch with Dad and Pappaw after making arrangements for Mom at the local funeral home. Not far beyond was the street where one of my best friends lived and where I met my first boyfriend.

Across from the courthouse I visited the County Historical Society, then browsed through the shops around the courthouse square. Camera in hand, I admired a few architectural details that had escaped my attention in my younger years. I studied the railroad tracks in the middle of Main Street, a feature of interest both then and now. Looking down the tracks to where they curved out of town and into the distance, I couldn’t help but think of all they had carried to and from this small town over the years. I even joined with the tourists in hoping for a train to pass by.

All Things Old are New Again

Of course many things have changed. The dentist office at the end of the block on Main Street is gone. The dime store across the street, where I shopped for Christmas gifts as a child, no longer offers its affordable treasures. In the place of those offices and shops I remember, others have sprung up or moved in. There are now art studios and antique stores in their place. There is even a nice local bookstore and coffeehouse to look through in search of hometown history and color.

I found one or two books of interest. Concluding my purchase, I noticed the gift items near the cash register. There I found a collection of vintage silver flatware stamped with whimsical phrases from Sycamore Hill. Not only were these nostalgic spoons, forks and spreading knives tempting period pieces on their own but they were adorned with the object of my ultimate weakness, the written word. After looking through the entire collection I found my favorite. I purchased a small butter knife with the words “spread the love” stamped on the blade.

The Spice of Life

When I got home I searched for a recipe to feature my Sycamore Hill spreader. The one I came up with also has its origins in an earlier time and place. It is based on a recipe I cut from a magazine shortly after I was married. Back then I thought of it as a simple reference to Cheesecake, a dessert I had just discovered and loved to make.

I adapted the original recipe slightly, to spice things up and to add a personal stamp. I substituted brown sugar for white, to add a caramel note to the flavor. Then I included one of my favorite artisan chocolates, Olive and Sinclair’s Mexican-style cinnamon chili chocolate bar, to bring an appealing hint of heat to the velvety cool cream cheese. (Feel free to experiment with your own favorite flavored chocolate or simply use an equivalent amount of chocolate chips.)

No baking is required here. The ingredients are simply mixed, then molded and chilled. Adorn the spread with a dusting of spiced cocoa powder and chocolate curls. Then add a side of ginger snaps or shortbread cookies to create a pretty deconstructed cheesecake to share with friends. What better way to “spread the love”!

Enjoy!

Spiced Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread

Course: Appetizers, DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Chilling time

overnight

Total time

20

minutes

Simply mix, mold and chill to make this Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread. Serve it with gingersnaps or shortbread cookies for delicious party fare or a fun dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips

  • Seeds from ½ vanilla bean (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract)

  • 4 ounces chocolate (I used a chili flavored chocolate bar)

  • Chocolate curls (for garnish)

  • Cocoa powder

  • Spice (cinnamon, coffee, red pepper……)

Directions

  • Line a mini-loaf pan (or another small container or mold of a similar size) with plastic wrap. Set aside.
  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the melted chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla seeds (or extract). Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
  • Add the mini chocolate chips and beat just until combined.
  • Smooth the mixture into the prepared mini-loaf pan (or other mold) being careful to push it into the corners, filling the whole area. Smooth and cover the top with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least several hours or, preferably, over-night.
  • When the mixture is chilled through, carefully remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Remove the cream cheese mixture from the pan using the plastic wrap lining to gently lift it out.
  • Invert the molded cream cheese mixture onto a serving plate. Dust the top and sides with cocoa powder, if desired, and with a pinch or two of spice (cinnamon, ancho chili powder and/or instant coffee powder). Top with chocolate curls.
  • Serve with ginger snaps or shortbread cookies.

Notes

  • This would make a nice dessert to share as couples. Instead of using a small loaf pan to mold the cream cheese, divide the mixture into two or three smaller bowls, teacups, cupcake tins or other molds. To serve, invert one mold per couple onto a small serving plate, garnish and surround it with the cookies. You could also add another topping, if you like; maybe candied ginger pieces, fruit salsa, slices of fresh fruit, fruit paste or jam, or toasted nuts. Place the serving plate between each couple and enjoy at your leisure with a cup of coffee or a dessert wine.

3 Comments

  1. Sweet!

  2. how unique! and jeff, come on. the answer to your question is obviously yes. 🙂

  3. Oh my! That looks too good and too easy! Is it addictive?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.