Simple and delicious cream cheese glaze

I have a special fondness for cream cheese, particularly as an ingredient in baked goods. It's the killer ingredient in my chocolate chip pound cake, for instance. I watch for sales on cream cheese and buy a half dozen bricks at a time.

One of my all-time favorite uses for cream cheese is frosting. Carrot cake, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, pumpkin bread--you name it, I think it's even better with cream cheese frosting. Mmmm. I just adapted a recipe to make cream cheese glaze that's super-simple. Here's all you need for it:

First, let 4 ounces (half an 8-oz. brick) come to room temperature. Then cut into chunks and place in the bowl of your food processor.

Sift some powdered sugar. You'll need two cups sifted sugar. I like to use this old sifter my grandmother gave me 27 years ago--it looks awful, but it works like a charm! (Tip: sift onto wax paper, measure what you need, and then roll up the paper to pour the excess back into your powdered sugar container.)

Dump 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon half-and-half (or heavy cream or milk, whatever you like) into the food processor, right on top of the cream cheese. Process for several seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add a second tablespoon of half-and-half and process the whole mixture until smooth. It'll look like this:

Warning: you WILL be tempted to lick the blades of the food processor. Do not yield: the blades are very sharp!

Then you can add a ladylike drizzle to whatever baked good you like--or you can be like me and pour on a heaping spoonful!

Y'all. This is so good. SO good. I wish I could let you lick the spoon!

Need a good recipe for pumpkin bread? Click here for mine.

Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Glaze

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons half and half

Cut cream cheese into hunks and place in bowl of food processor. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp. half-and-half. Process for several seconds. Scrape down sides of food processor bowl. Add additional Tbsp. half-and-half and process until smooth. Pour or spoon over carrot cake, banana cake, pumpkin bread, cinnamon rolls, etc.

**I'm joining Amanda at Serenity Now for Weekend Bloggy Reading. Head over there to see other fun posts!