This is a sponsored post for Partners Crackers.

I teamed up with Partners Crackers to create a series of everyday spreads or finger foods for your next gathering.

First off, marinated labneh cheese in extra virgin olive oil with Herb Snack Crackers. If you’ve ever thought about making cheese, labneh is about as simple as it gets. Essentially, thick yogurt strained until it has a soft, spreadable consistency. I marinated the labneh in extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs (rosemary and oregano), and a dash of red pepper flakes for an extra kick of flavor. So simple, yet so good.

Next, homemade hummus with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Hors D’Oeuvre Crackers. While there’s no shortage of grocery store hummus out there, not all hummus is created equal. Freshly made hummus is smooth, creamy, and light, with just the right amount of tahini and lemon juice.

It takes a bit of time and planning to soak the beans overnight and cook them the next day, but from there it’s just a matter of tossing everything into a food processor and pureeing until smooth (a good 5 minutes or so in the food processor). Spread onto a plate or shallow bowl, top with a drizzle of olive oil, spices — such as smoked paprika, sumac or za’ atar — chopped herbs (e.g., parsley), roasted chickpeas, nuts/seeds, roast lamb, etc. — the sky’s the limit.

Lastly, a smoked salmon mousse on Cracked Black Pepper Flatbread Crackers to round out the bunch. I used a 1:1 ratio of cold-smoked salmon to cream cheese, as I didn’t want the cream cheese to mute the salmon flavor. All ingredients simply tossed into a food processor and processed until smooth. You can get fancy and use a piping bag to pipe the salmon mousse onto the crackers or serve in a bowl and let your guests spread it on.

Marinated Labneh

makes 8 balls
2 cups full fat Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Fresh herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, thyme
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled, and lightly smashed with side of chef’s knife (optional)
Few whole black peppercorns
Red pepper flakes to taste
Serve with Partners Herb Snack Crackers

In a medium sized bowl, mix together yogurt and salt. Line a large bowl with cheesecloth, make sure the edges drape over the top of the bowl. Scoop salted yogurt into the center of the cheesecloth and tie the corners of the cloth together. Tie a piece of string off the cheesecloth knot and hang from a height over the bowl.  Leave for 1 hour. Drain liquid from bowl.

Place the cheese (still in the cheesecloth) into the bowl and top with a saucer and a large weight (I used a large can of beans) and refrigerate overnight. 

Drain off any liquid and give the cheese (still in the cheesecloth) a good twist and squeeze to remove any residual extra liquid. Remove the cheese from the cheese cloth and roll into 8 small balls. Place in a large jar, cover with olive, herbs, peppercorns, and garlic. Refrigerate for 1 day before eating.

Hummus

3 cups cooked chickpeas from ~ 1 1/4 cups dried
2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
1/2 cup tahini 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
~1 teaspoon sea salt
juice of 1 lemon (~1/4 cup), more or less to taste
extra virgin olive oil for topping
chopped parsley for garnish
optional: sprinkle with smoked paprika or sumac
Serve with Partners Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Hors D’Oeuvre Crackers 

Place the dried chickpeas and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl or pot, cover with cold water by two inches. Soak for 8-12 hours. Drain.  

Place the soaked chickpeas in a large pot with 1 teaspoon baking soda. Simmer for 45-50 minutes until very tender. Drain.

Add the cooked chickpeas, tahini, cumin, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add 1/4 cup ice-cold water. Continue to process for 4-5 minutes, adding more ice water as needed, a tablespoon at a time (about 2 to 3 tablespoons), until you achieve a smooth consistency. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.

Spoon the humus into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and drizzle in extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with smoked paprika or sumac. Garnish with parsley leaves.

Salmon Mousse

4 ounces cold smoked salmon
4 ounces cream cheese, softened, room temperature
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream to thin
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Few grinds black pepper
Pinch of cayenne

To serve:
Cucumber slices
Chopped chives or pickled red onions
Serve with Partners Cracked Black Pepper Flatbread Crackers

Place the salmon, cream cheese, heavy cream, lemon zest and juice, black pepper, and cayenne in a food processor bowl and process until smooth, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula.

Transfer the mousse to a bowl and serve with crackers.

Or, transfer the salmon mousse to a pastry bag and pipe onto crackers or cucumber slices placed on top of crackers. Garnish with chopped chives or pickled onions.