Smooth hummus as creamy as a baby's bottom

We've all tried to prepare hummus as it is the absolute easiest thing to do (if you do not live in Italy, that is) - blend all the ingredients in a food processor and voila! But somehow, the other half is never quite satisfied with it and insists that it's never creamy, never smooth, never that-je-ne-sais-quoi enough. For the first time, we tried Barefoot but her recipe was not quite the answer, and we tried to charm a Persian restauranteur into divulging the secrets of hummus. 

He didn't. We made do with some "research" (Larousse, Barefoot, Google - you get the flow) instead. Apart from homemade chickpeas (which we didn't actually make), the key is the ingredients which are first whipped in the food processor. Note that whatever else is purported by other hummus-authorities, there is no such thing as hummus without tahini or cumin....well, no real hummus anyway. But what would I know as try as I might, I'm no Persian restauranteur and can't pretend to have any authority over this. But I do know that this was the smoothest, creamiest, fluffliest, most fantastic hummus we have ever achieved. Ever.

The secrets:
1 can chickpeas (about 200gms - 240gms net weight) drained and thoroughly rinsed if not preparing your own
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, cored and minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2-3 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)

At least 3-5 tablespoons water (adjust to taste)
fine sea salt to taste - at least 3/4 tsp

Blend the tahini and lemon juice together for at least 1 minute. Scrape down and blend again for 30 seconds. Add the garlic, cumin, oil, salt, scrape down and blend for another minute. Add the chickpeas and blend for 2-10 minutes. Test taste, adjust, scrape down and blend again for 30 seconds. Let the processor go on slow and slowly add water down the feedtube until the desired consistency. Blend blend blend!

Drizzle over olive oil, lemon juice and dash of paprika to serve - this was omitted in the photo as it was leftovers (we made three times the recipe for the NYE party) and we just wanted to face plant ourselves into the damn thing...