I visited England last summer and it was glorious, with lots of agricultural shows on the calendar. I was impressed with how many types of cheese were being produced and how many variations on one cheese could be made with the addition of extras. What I mean by this is that the same curd was used in many cheeses but varied with the addition of extras. Some were so changed you would never know that one initial recipe had been used.

Extras can go into cheese milk or into the drained curds or be added to the exterior of the cheese. They can grow in and on the cheese like white and blue moulds and washed rind brevi linens. They can change the colour, flavour, texture and aroma.

But a word of caution here. Don’t get carried away with the additions. Make a great cheese and it will stand on its own. Adding other ingredients may enhance or vary your cheese repertoire but it will not mask a bad cheese.

Drain my cream cheese recipe for an extra 12 hours and you get a sliceable cheese.

I make cream cheese regularly. I use milk from my Jersey cows and Flora Danica starter, although you could use a yoghurt or buttermilk starter just as well. This is a really versatile cheese and really simple to make (and it’s one of the recipes in How to Make Cheese). It is quite a soft cheese but can be drained further to almost sliceable texture.  If you are having a party or gathering  making one base of cream cheese and varying it with additions could make all your dips and spreads as well as contributing to your cheeseboard.

With the help of my food taster Dave (husband) and Toni (best friend) who are my greatest encouragers and critics, I have come up with some easy and flavourful additions to cream cheese that lifts it into a gourmet status. I have listed them by popularity in my cheese class tastings.

1. The most universally-popular combination is 1 cup cream cheese mixed with 2 tbsp of drained crushed pineapple and 1 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce. Mix all together and chill. Everyone loves it and we use it mostly as a dip or spread.

2. One cup of cream cheese, 1 tbsp of horseradish cream and 1 tbsp of whole grain mustard. Mix together and chill. This is most popular with the men, it’s sophisticated and great with meat of any type. I am not a great horseradish fan but have been converted after trying this combination – it is stunning.

3. One cup of cream cheese and 1 tbsp of orange marmalade. Mix together and chill. Line patty tins with ginger nuts and warm in the oven until you can shape them with a spoon to make a small cup. Cool and spoon the orange cream cheese into it. Add some orange zest to the top for presentation. Can be used as a filling in orange muffins before cooking. Delicious.

4. One cup of cream cheese and 2 tbsp of lemon curd. This is great piped into small pastry cases and eaten as little cheesecakes. I have used this as a filling in sponges and added it to the middle of muffins before they are cooked. It makes a wonderful surprise when they are sliced open.

5. Steep 2 tbsp of chopped apricots in enough rum to cover them overnight. Drain the apricots and mix into one cup of cream cheese. You can use this as a cassata-style cheese spread on oat cakes. By the way, keep the liquid you drain off as a delicious tipple – Dave usually drinks it and says it’s great.

6. Add 1 tbsp of khalua to one cup of cream cheese and you have a great filling for cakes.

7. Crystallised ginger chopped with a bit of ginger syrup added to a cup of cream cheese is a delightful spread for sweet crackers or oatcakes.

8. Add 1 tbsp of chopped parsley and chives to one cup of cream cheese, season with salt and cracked pepper and you make a wonderful topping for baked potatoes. It will melt and dribble down the sides. Yum. I have even pressed this in a tiny mould to make a centrepiece for the cheeseboard.

9. Finely chopped gherkins and capers added to one cup of cream cheese will give an almost tzatziki flavour to a dip. Make sure you mix well and make the cream cheese quite soft.

10. My cream cheese recipe can be drained for an extra 12 hours to become quite firm. Roll it into balls and placed carefully in a sterilised jar, then pour herbed or spiced olive oil in until the jar is full and you have an instant gift or a preserved soft cheese that will last for weeks. It instantly transforms a salad into a feast.

11. You can roll the balls of cream cheese in chocolate hail and chill as a proud topping on your ice cream or sundaes. Use them up quickly as they will only keep a few days in the fridge.

12. You can also roll cream cheese balls in finely-chopped nuts, chill and use as additions to sweet or savoury cold dishes.

13. Spoonfuls of well-drained cream cheese can be rolled in cheese ash for a really spectacular colour variation on the cheeseboard or in salads. Don’t overdo the sprinkling of ash though as it can become gritty.

You are really only limited by your imagination with additions or uses for cream cheese. I have only given you a few examples. Make your own and enjoy experimenting. How to Make Cheese with Jean Mansfield has many shortcuts and ideas for enhancing your cheeses to get the best from what you make in your own kitchen. Happy cheesemaking!