Nevertheless, I want to share these with you in hope that perhaps you can whip up one or two for tomorrow’s gatherings of friends and family around that big screen TV. They are all very easy and you probably have the needed ingredients in the frig. Well, maybe not the cold-smoked salmon, but if there is a Trader Joe’s nearby, they have a 4-ounce package for a modest price.

The recipes below are starting points. Once you understand the basic formula, you can create endless new combinations. Although I am emphasizing entertaining spreads to be served with crudités and artisan crackers for this post, I use these same or similar spreads for tiny, open-faced, English tea sandwiches. They are very versatile.

I like to layer the spreads and their garnishes in clear glass containers so that the colorful components are fully visible. You can also layer the spreads in small plastic wrap-lined springform pans or individual, removable-bottom cheesecake pans. In this case, the spread will be free standing when you serve it, which is quite lovely. The only caveats here are to make the non cream cheese layers quite thin and to go for low and wide, rather than tall and narrow. Otherwise the structure may not hold its shape after standing for awhile at room temperature.

NOTE For a super light rendition of any of the following spreads (especially effective for tea sandwiches or even for chip dips but not applicable for free-standing), after processing 1 pound of cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, add ½ cup heavy cream and continue processing until the cream is whipped and the mixture is noticeably fluffier. I know it sounds odd, but yes, cream will whip when combined with cream cheese. Just don’t try whipping it with any other ingredients. You may have to alter the order of the steps in the recipe to accommodate this added step.

Gorgonzola or Chevre Spread

This spread is a mainstay in the OtherWorldly Kitchen. This girl loves her artisan crackers and homemade cheese spread snack on late winter afternoons, just as the light is starting to wane. I throw whatever bits of soft cheese are hanging out in the frig into the mix–typically gorgonzola, stilton, blue, or chevre. Firmer cheeses, such as cheddar or jack will also work.

2 cups (1 pound) best-quality cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
3-6 tablespoons (1-2 ounces) crumbled gorgonzola or fresh goat cheese
1 large clove garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish
½ cup (3 ounces) chopped sundried tomatoes in olive oil
½ cup (1½ ounces) chopped toasted walnuts

1. In a food processor, process the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Stop the machine and check to make sure all there are no remaining lumps in the cream cheese.
2. Add the cheese, garlic, and salt, and pulse until smooth and incorporated.
3. Spoon one-third of the spread into a 2-cup glass serving container (or two 1-cup containers), top with one-half of the sundried tomatoes, one-third of the spread, all of the walnuts, one-third of the spread, and the final one-half of the sundried tomatoes.
4. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Serve with crudités and/or a variety of crackers or crostini.

Makes about 2 cups (excluding the garnish).

Smoked Salmon & Caper Spread

This is one spread I can’t keep around the OtherWorldly Kitchen. MauiJim always finds it hidden at the back of the frig and powers right through it. Well, OK, I eat my fair share as well. If you bring out the entire 2 cups surrounded by crudités and crackers, and don’t pay attention, you are likely to eat the entire lot. So I serve only a small portion at any one time and try to pretend to myself that there is no more in the frig.

I adore celery crudités with this spread. You might also try serving a teaspoon or so of the spread on the wide end of endive leaves. It makes an elegant appetizer, leaves fanned out on a serving platter.

This spread is also a great way to indulge in a luxury ingredient without breaking the bank. Trader Joe’s carries 4-ounces packages of Nova-style smoked salmon for under $5.00.

4 ounces cold-smoked (Nova-style) salmon
2 cups (1 pound) best-quality cream cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced or pressed

Garnish
2 tablespoons small capers, drained

1. In a food processor, process the salmon until finely chopped.
2. Add the cream cheese and process until smooth and creamy. Stop the machine and check to make sure there are no remaining lumps in the cream cheese.
3. Add the lemon juice, capers, and garlic, and pulse until just combined.
4. Spoon the spread into a 2-cup glass serving container (or two 1-cup containers), cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, spoon the remaining 2 tablespoons of capers on top of the spread.
5. Serve with crudités and/or a variety of crackers or crostini.

Makes about 2½ cups.

Creamy Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Cheese Spread

I just made my first ever Pimento Cheese Spread (which I renamed Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Cheese Spread) and had to find out pronto how it would taste in a cream cheese spread. It’s fabulous. Now I can’t decide which I like better.

8 ounces best-quality cream cheese
1 cup Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Cheese Spread (coming soon)
2 ounces fire-roasted sweet red peppers, minced (1/4 cup minced)
½ teaspoon green Tabasco
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans

1. In a food processor, process the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Stop the machine and check to make sure all there are no remaining lumps in the cream cheese.
2. Add the Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Cheese Spread, roasted peppers, Tabasco, and salt, and pulse until incorporated.
3. Spoon one-half of the spread into a 2-cup glass serving container (or two 1-cup containers), top with one-half of the pecans, the final one-half of the spread, and the final one-half of the pecans.
4. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Serve with crudités and/or a variety of crackers or crostini.

Makes about 2¼ cups (excluding the garnish).

Pineapple Ginger Spread

This spread provides a nice contrast to other more savory appetizers or spreads. It is fruity, slightly sweet, and addictive.

2 cups (1 pound) best quality cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
4½ ounces drained, crushed pineapple (from an 8-ounce can)
2 tablespoons minced sweet onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
finely grated zest of 1 large lime
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish
¾ cup dried cranberries, covered for 15 minutes with boiling water, drained well, and chopped

1. In a food processor, process the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Stop the machine and check to make sure all of the cream cheese is creamy.
2. Add the pineapple, onion, ginger, orange zest, powdered sugar, lime juice, vanilla, and salt, and pulse until well incorporated.
3. Spoon one half of the spread into a 2-cup glass serving container (or two 1-cup containers), top with one-half of the chopped cranberries, the final one-half of the spread, and the final one-half of the chopped cranberries.
4. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Serve with a variety of crackers.

Makes about 2½ cups (excluding the garnish).

Whenever the word “brunch” is mentioned, and especially Easter brunch, this coffee cake drifts through the wide open space of my mind.

Yeah, right! I WISH my mind was a wide open space. To tell the truth, it is crowded with ideas on what I’m going to create next in the OtherWorldly Kitchen. Spring is here. Finally! Rhubarb is shoving every other ingredient aside and screaming, “Me, Me.” Sweet Peas are leaping, twirling, and shouting, “But what about that amazing Chilled Sweet Pea Soup you said you would work up as soon as I hit the fresh market? You promised!” You don’t even want to know what nonsense Basil is whispering. Something about ice cream.
Nevertheless, as I was saying, this coffeecake drifts through my very crowded mind whenever brunch is mentioned. That’s because it’s so delicious and so easy. It may also have something to do with the fact that people go gaga over it and beg me for the recipe.
I give it to them, of course, but always reluctantly, because after they see for themselves how easy it is to make, they may begin to question ALL of my seeming feats of culinary magic.
Plus they might give the recipe to 50 of their closest friends, which would mean that everyone (maybe even one of my family members) would bring this same coffeecake to Easter brunch. And then where would I be?

But I’m sure that YOU will keep this recipe strictly to yourself, right?

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2 cups King Arthur unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup unsalted butter

3 ounces best quality cream cheese

½ cup milk

½ cup artisan raspberry preserves (or your favorite preserves)

Icing

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Optional

2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk vigorously to distribute the baking soda and salt.
   
2. With a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers, cut the cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture.
   
3. Quickly and gently blend in the milk.
   
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead VERY LIGHTLY for 4-5 strokes.
   

   NOTE This is the step at which you can ruin the coffeecake. If you overwork the dough, the pastry will be tough. Just gather the dough together and don’t worry about making it smooth. It will still look a little rough. That’s perfect.
   

5. On waxed paper, roll the dough to an 8- by 12-inch rectangle.
   
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly greased baking sheet and remove the waxed paper.
   
7. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds.
   
8. Spread preserves down the middle third of the dough, keeping it about ½ inch from the mark on both sides.
   
9. Make 2¾-inch slight diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each the long sides. Do not cut into the center jam-filled area.
   
10. Fold strips, first one from one side and then one from the other side in a rotating fashion, over the filling. The coffeecake will now resemble a braid.
    
11. Bake in a 425° oven for 12-15 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the top is lightly browned.
    
12. In a small glass measuring cup with a pouring spout, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over the top of the coffeecake.
    
13. If desired, sprinkle on the toasted sliced almonds while the icing is still wet.
    
14. Serve warm.
    

Makes one 8- by 12-inch coffee cake.

Easter Inspiration

I searched the web for the best-of-the-best ideas to make Easter a festive and memorable day, and here are some my favorites. You are definitely going to want to check these out for your own Easter festivities.

eHow: How to Dye Eggs Naturally

Gorgeous, dreamy pastels to color your Easter eggs. These are much prettier than those made with store-bought dyes.

Our Best Bites: Silk Dyed Eggs

These are the most amazing Easter eggs I’ve ever seen. Old silk ties are used to transfer the pattern on the silk to the surface of the egg. Remarkable and stunning!

The Recipe Girl: Bunny Cupcakes

I’ve seen a couple versions of this pink frosted, bunny-face cupcake on the web, but these are surely the cutest. If I had a little one running around the house, I would be so excited to make these for her.

Cream Puffs in Venice: Let the Whimsy In

This is one of my favorite food blogs and these rose and hydrangea cupcakes are too pretty to eat. I can’t wait to try these gorgeous frosting techniques.

Cabbage Roses and Cupcakes: Lemon Cloud Cupcakes

A simple two color frosting swirl is perfect when subtle cupcake elegance is needed. Perfection.

Dessert Girl: Birds, Birds and More Birds

I’ve seen several versions of this cupcake, topped with a little nest complete with three baby chicks (beaks open), on the web, but these are the absolute cutest.

My Sweet and Saucy: Cupcake Flower Tutorial

I definitely need some guidance in the area of frosting technique and this post gives just that. With the help of this photo tutorial, maybe even I can top cupcakes with these darling flowers.

Martha Stewart: Easter Bunny Cupcakes

This tutorial shows how to use a springerle mold to impress a design into fondant, which is then cut and used to “frost” a cupcake. Elegant.

Farida’s Azerbaijan Cookbook: Zebra Cake

You might want to impress friends and family this Easter with this amazing cake technique. If lively conversation is your goal, this cake is just what you must serve. Stand back and wait for the applause.

Wine Imbiber: Iced Lavender Lemon Tea Cookies

Oh, I’m in love here! Seriously, these iced cookies are over-the-top romantic and charming in an old English garden sort of way. I need to dig out my wedding china (Minton Haddon Hall) to serve tea with these.

Once Upon a Plate: Lavender-Blueberry Ice Cream

Now that I’ve seen purple ice cream, I can’t wait to make it. I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks. I’m a sucker for anything with lavender in it and it’s soooo Easter.

Undercover Cook: Lavender Infused Virgin Mojitos

Lavender-infused virgin mojitos for Easter? Absolutely!

Café Johnsonia: Lavender Limeade

First, you steep culinary lavender in simple syrup, and then you add fresh lime juice and water. Excuse me, I have to dash into the kitchen and make this right now.

The Pastry Project: Lavender Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

I have always loved the country charm and fragrance of lavender. I have lavender lotions, body butters, and bath salts galore, and now culinary lavender is in my kitchen spice drawer as well. Put a tablespoon of the dried flowers in a rich and buttery shortbread cookie and what can I say? Maybe just, “Is the tea ready?”

Barefoot Kitchen Witch: French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

This is a Tuesday with Dorie (TWD) selection and this rendition looks charming and romantic. Great photo tutorial as well. Of course you will need Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan to get the actual recipe. Every serious baker should have this book, however.

Cake Journal: Making Poured Fondant Icing

This post shows you how to make your own poured fondant.

Cake Journal: Using Poured Fondant Icing

I love the idea of pouring the fondant rather than rolling it. I also like the effect.

About.com: How to Make Frosting Flowers

These little flowers are so pretty and would be great on top of cupcakes.

Martha Stewart: Chrysanthemum Cupcakes

A stunning cupcake frosting technique, perfect for spring.

Your Best Wedding: Wedding Cupcakes with Flowers

These cupcakes are actually too pretty to eat, but I love looking at them just the same.

Cupcakes and All Things Sweet: Polka Dot Topped Cupcakes

Here, a white chocolate ganache is dotted with color and then left to set. The resulting disks are placed on top of cupcakes, to great effect.