Recipes: Sesame Cream Cheese - Apple Cider Sangria - Products Sampled Over Cream Cheese

Over Cream Cheese.  That was the theme for this weekend.  I love this sampling and I do it at least once every year with products I think customers would enjoy tasting.  I use cream cheese as a way to sample the products, but so many customers say they use these ideas for parties. So, as of this weekend, I began pairing the cream cheese and product with a garnish.  I don't think party food gets any easier than this.  Ready ...

First, Sesame Cream Cheese.  This has been a family favorite for years and a customer favorite ever since I started sampling it out.  When customers ask what the sample is and I tell them cream cheese marinated in soy sauce they have a hard time believing the cream cheese doesn't get mushy.  Not to mention, that it would even taste good.  They taste it and love it.  A definite favorite.

Sesame Cream Cheese

8 oz. TFM cream cheese

Tamari Soy sauce

Water

4 Tbl. white sesame seeds, toasted
1½ Tbl. black sesame seeds 
     (optional*)

Sesmark rice crackers

Place cream cheese in a container that will hold it with a little room all around.  

In a measuring cup, add a 75/25 mixture of Tamari and water.  (If marinating for 4 to 6 hours use Tamari without water.) You want enough to add to the cream cheese in the container, just to where the cream cheese begins to float.   Add mixture to cream cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning half way through.   

Mix white and black sesame seeds together in a medium dish.  Remove cream cheese from soy sauce and coat with sesame seeds.  Place on serving plate. Serve with rice crackers.   


*If not using black sesame seeds, then use an additional 1½ tablespoons white sesame seeds.

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Next is Apple Cider Sangria.  As I was leaving for work Thursday my daughter, Sarah, was browsing  stumbleupon.com. I told her if she ever came across any recipes for appetizers that looked good to let me know.  She then showed me a recipe for Apple Cider Sangria.  Sounded like fun and when I got to Fresh Market I played with the recipe to make it work for the store (I cannot use liquor).

Apple Cider Sangria
1 bottle Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc or 
     Kendall-Jackson AVANT Chardonnay, cold
2½ c. Murray's Apple Cider, cold
1 c. TFM Pink Ginger Limited Edition French Soda, cold
2 red apples, diced

Place all ingredients in a pitcher.  Serve.  

Note: I do not recommend using a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  The grapefruit flavor profile would be too bold.  

Thursday I prepared this with Sauvignon Blanc and 1½ cups Pink Ginger.  Friday I prepared this with AVANT Chardonnay and 1 cup Pink Ginger.  Cutomers enjoyed it both days.  I reduced the Pink Ginger on Friday in the hopes of making the flavor a tad less ginger.  I did not see a noticable difference.

As an aside, I had the diced apples in an infuser in the pitcher.  I hated to throw them out.  I put the diced apples in a bowl, with some cinnamon and honey.  Tasty. 

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The first product over cream cheese is Robert Rothschild Pineapple & Habenero Dip.  A great product for seafood, chicken, pork and on its own with tortilla chips.  I wanted to sample this out Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but I sold out on Friday.  I would say this was a customer favorite.

Pineapple & Habanero Spread
1 jar Robert Rothschild Pineapple & 
     Habanero Dip
8 oz. TFM Cream Cheese
½ c. salted peanuts, coarse chop
TFM Entertainment Crackers

Place cream cheese on a serving plate.  Top with ½ a jar of Pineapple & Habanero Dip.  Garnish with peanuts.  Serve with TFM Entertainment Crackers.

While I was cleaning up Friday night I thought chopped smoked almonds might also be a nice garnish.  Next time I sample this out I'm going to give it a try. 

This product is with the salsas in the isle with tortilla chips.

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Robert Rothschild Coconut Mango Tequila Sauce is next over cream cheese. A little spicy and a tad sweet.  Perfect for seafood, chicken and pork.  I think it would be great with Fresh Markets Coconut Shrimp.

Pineapple Coconut Mango Tequila Sauce over Cream Cheese
1 jar Robert Rothschild Pineapple   
     Coconut Mango Tequila Sauce

8 oz. TFM Cream Cheese
½ c. TFM Toasted Coconut Chips
TFM Entertainment Crackers

Place cream cheese on a serving plate.  Top with ½ a jar of Coconut Mango Tequila Sauce.  Garnish with coconut chips.  Serve with TFM Entertainment Crackers.

The TFM Coconut Chips are delicious on their own.  I've also used them in my Tropical Pound Cake recipe.  Use as ice cream topping too. 

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If you want all spicy and no sweet, then this next flavorful sauce is for you.  TFM Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce.  Another product I wanted to sample out for Friday and Saturday, but sold out on Friday.  A definite customer favorite.

Coconut Mango Pepper Sauce Spread
1 jar TFM Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce

8 oz. TFM Cream Cheese
½ c. TFM Toasted Coconut Chips
TFM Entertainment Crackers

Place cream cheese on a serving plate.  Top with ½ a jar of Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce.  Garnish with coconut chips.  Serve with TFM Entertainment Crackers.

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This next product sampling is what started the "over cream" cheese sampling for me.  Dr. Pete's Praline Glaze.  Perfect for ham. This is a customer favorite and as with my past samplings of it ... SOLD OUT. 

Dr. Pete's Praline Glaze Spread
1 jar Dr. Pete's Praline Glaze

8 oz. TFM Cream Cheese
½ c. fancy pecan pieces
TFM Entertainment Crackers

Place cream cheese on a serving plate.  Sprinkle with pecan pieces. Top with ½ a jar of Dr. Pete's.  Serve with TFM Entertainment Crackers.

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Spiced Orange Marmalade Glaze Spread
1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Spiced Orange 
     Marmalade Glaze

8 oz. TFM Cream Cheese
½ c. sliced almonds, toasted
TFM Entertainment Crackers

Place cream cheese on a serving plate.  Top with ½ a jar of Spiced Orange Marmalade.  Garnish with almonds. Serve with TFM Entertainment Crackers.

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The last product sampled was TFM Pomegranate Cranberry Chutney and Greek Cream Cheese & Greek Yogurt. 

Pomegranate Cranberry Chutney Spread
1 jar TFM Pomegranate Cranberry Chutney

8 oz. Greek Cream Cheese & Greek Yogurt
½ c. fancy pecan pieces
TFM Entertainment Crackers

Place cream cheese on a serving plate.  Top with ½ a jar of chutney.  Garnish with pecan pieces.  Serve with TFM Entertainment Crackers.

The Greek Cream Cheese & Greek Yogurt was a hit.  It has a very nice flavor.  I love TFM Pomegranate Cranberry Chutney on chicken salad.  I've sampled it out on Harvest Chicken Salad Sandwich #2. So seasonally delicious.