Fresh Bagels With Vegetable Cream Cheese

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Ingredients

For the vegetable cream cheese:

  • 1 (8-ounce) package room temperature cream cheese, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 medium carrot, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 medium scallion, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1/4 medium red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons chopped celery leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the bagels:

  • 2 3/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 F)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Directions

Make the vegetable cream cheese:

  1. Before chopping vegetables, take the cream cheese out of the fridge to let it slightly soften.
  2. Place the diced carrots in food processor fitted with blade attachment. Pulse until carrots are finely chopped, about 5-7 pulses.
  3. Add to the food processor the celery, scallion and pepper then pulse for another 5-7 pulses. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  4. Add the herbs, seasonings and cream cheese. Pulse until the cheese and vegetables are completely incorporated, 7-10 pulses. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
  5. Tip: You can customize how chucky or smooth you want your cream cheese by increasing or decreasing how many times you pulse your food processor.

Make the bagels:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F
  2. Prepare the dough:  In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes or until water bubbles and smells yeasty.
  3. Add the flour and kosher salt using a wooden spoon. The dough will be very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 4-5 minutes.
  5. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until double in size.
  6. Shape the bagels: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it – doesn’t need to be perfect).
  7. Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1 1/2 to 2-inches in diameter.
  8. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with a kitchen towel and let them rest for a few minutes as your prepare the water bath.
  9. Fill a large, wide pot with about 2 quarts of water. Add baking soda. Bring water to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
  10. Prepare egg wash by combining 1 egg with a tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel.
  11. Place 8 bagels onto a lined baking sheet, use 2 baking sheets if necessary. Bake for 20-25 minutes rotating the pan(s) halfway through. You want the bagels to be dark golden brown.
  12. Allow to cool slightly. Slice in half and smear with vegetable cream cheese.

Recipe courtesy of New York Kitchen in Canandaigua, a center that showcases New York State’s agriculture through cooking classes, beverage pairings and other programs.

https://www.cutco.com/learn/fresh-bagels-with-vegetable-cream-cheese