Classic Hummus

This is the hummus I make to take to parties. It's always a hit. The secret is cooking your own chickpeas and using the chickpea cooking liquid to make it really creamy and smooth. The taste of the freshly cooked chickpeas shines in this recipe. I've converted many people to cooking their own chickpeas based on this hummus! I adapted the original recipe from Vegetarian Times for this recipe. Note that the related article includes variations (spicy hummus, sun-dried tomato hummus, roasted pepper hummus, green chile and cilantro hummus).
Classic Hummus
Makes slightly more than 3 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked, warm chickpeas, cooking liquid reserved
  
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chickpea cooking liquid
  

Instructions
Purée warm chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini, and salt in food processor for 2 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add the tablespoons of the chickpea cooking liquid down the chute while it's running, until you get the consistency you want (less for chunkier, more for smoother.) Puree until it's very creamy. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Spicy Hummus Variation
At the last minute of processing, add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and one minced garlic. Sprinkle with paprika.