Drizzle the finished hummus with your best olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika.  A few toasted sesame seeds would be a great addition also. (I just didn’t think of it until I looked at my photos!)

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups (250 grams) cooked chickpeas
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) well-stirred tahini
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) ice water
• Dash ground paprika, for serving

UPDATE:  SINCE posting this originally, I’ve discovered a few more tricks.  

If you don’t have free hands for peeling the chickpeas, boil with 1/2 tsp baking soda per can for 20 minutes.  Drain well and rinse with cold water – ready to go.  

If you soak your garlic in the lemon juice for 10 minutes, and process that with the tahini at the first blending stage your garlic will have a much more mellow, smooth taste.  

DIRECTIONS

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended.

Open, drain, and rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and quite smooth; 1 to 2 minutes.

I know, you are thinking “what goof peels chickpeas?”  Me.  Especially after Stella raved about the creamiest hummus she’d ever had.  At 5 years old, this girl knows food.  After that, how could I not peel my hummus.  After all, even if it takes you 20 min to peel that can of chickpeas, haven’t you ever wasted 20 min on something less interesting??

Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency.

Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and dash of paprika. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.

We served the hummus today with fresh vegetables as well as                                                            lightly seasoned and toasted pita wedges.

I heard a rumour that hummus made at home could be creamy, dreamy & simple, but every time I tried it I was less than satisfied.  Sure, it was tasty …. but dreamy?  No.  So I hit the blogs looking for a trick, and “inspired taste” provided it.  Look up the blog – Adam and Joanne have some amazing photos and descriptions, plus tips for cooking your own chickpeas and many other great ideas.  I’ve made this recipe a few times now, exactly as written (except that I am that weirdo that doesn’t mind a 10 minute mindless activity like skinning chickpeas).

A few days later, my grand daughters Sloan and Stella were here, asking for a snack …. when I produced the vegetables I got a look ….. “Well Nana ……..do you have any of that amazing peeled chickpea hummus left?  Could we please have some of that too?”                                                       That, my friends, is how foodies are born.