Restaurant-Style Hummus

I've always loved hummus, but this was actually my first time making it. It was so much easier than I thought, although at first I had a really hard time finding Joyva tahini. Tahini is a paste made of ground sesame seeds and it gives hummus an authentic flavor. It is a must for home-made hummus. I eventually found it at a local health food store and then I started seeing it everywhere after that. Of course...that is what typically happens to me.

This was a very basic hummus, but in my opinion much better than the store bought brands I've tried. It was very creamy and had tons of flavor. Basically, you just throw all of the ingredients together into the food processor and...DONE!

Restaurant-Style Hummus
Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons tahini , stirred well (see note)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for drizzling
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed (see note)
1 small garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro or parsley leaves

Instructions:
1. Combine lemon juice and water in small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish.

2. Process remaining chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle reserved chickpeas and cilantro over surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.