Maybe you folks already know what this is, but I confess, I had no idea. Boursin happens to be both a type of cheese and a brand of cheese. It was created by Frenchman, François Boursin in 1957.

The enterprising French branded it with Boursin’s name, and it’s been a big deal ever since. It’s a soft, creamy cheese, specifically Gournay cheese, with various flavors, that’s typically described as “scrumptious!”. The most well-known flavor is garlic and fine herbs. The variety commonly found in specialty food stores costs around $7 for two ounces.

Whoa—am I just a whiner, or does that seem like a LOT for 2 ounces of cheese (scrumptious or not)? Well thank goodness we can actually make our own for a LOT LESS.

All you need is a block of America's most ubiquitous cream cheese (Philadelphia brand, for instance) that costs around $3 for eight ounces (but house brands are much less). Add in a a little butter, a minced small clove of garlic, some herbes de Provence (maybe 1 to 1½ teaspoons), a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and you’ve just turned that block into a really mouthwatering dead-ringer for Boursin.

One important note: the emphasis is on SMALL garlic clove. Anything more than a very small glove will totally overpower the cheese — if not right away, then certainly by the next day. So do be careful with your clove choice.

Now, all you really need to do is mix all of these ingredients together thoroughly (using a fork and muscle power or a food processor), and as the French say, “Voila!”

Be sure to store your "Boursin" in a sealable container, and refrigerate. Try to wait overnight before indulging (the operative word here is TRY). If not, give it an hour or so to allow the flavors to at least begin their work together.

This is a terrific imposter, and because it’s now affordable, you can enjoy this indulgence any time you want. It’s fantastic on gourmet crackers, by the way. Stored properly, your homemade Boursin should be safe for 10-12 days in the fridge — not that it's likely to last that long.

Find out for yourself by giving this tried-and-true recipe (from www.therecipecritic.com) a test run. It’s easy to make and incredibly good!




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    Alice Osborne
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com