My mom learned this recipe in a gardening class. It’s a great use for marjoram, which is an herb I tend to forget about. It’s also arguably better than Boursin and definitely less expensive for those of us in North America.

I’ve made the recipe twice, neither time as written. I didn’t add the butter either time but added Greek yogurt the first time, which created a better consistency than cream cheese on its own. Quark would be good too. Anything that would get rid of that weird processed cream cheese texture would be good as far as I’m concerned.

According to the recipe, the thyme is a must, and I would argue so is the marjoram. Adding basil just doesn’t seem right to me, so I left it out. I also used black pepper instead of white because that’s what I had.

1 lb cream cheese, softened
1 t. mashed garlic
1 ½ T chopped chives
1 t. chopped English or French thyme
½ t. salt
½ lb butter or margarine
1 ½ T chopped sweet marjoram
1 T chopped basil
1 T chopped parsley
½ t freshly ground white pepper

Beat cheese & butter together. Add garlic, mixing well. Add finely chopped herbs, salt & pepper. Chill slightly and form into ball or logs. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze. Serve with toast. Substitute other herbs as desired; use chopped hot pepper for heat. One essential herb is the thyme.