Cream Cheese
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, creamy, mild-tasting cheese with sweetness and a slight tang. Its subtle sweetness, tanginess, and smooth texture makes it extremely versatile as it can be spread on a bagel or sandwich, or mixed in cake batter, or used as a base for cake frosting or can be enjoyed as a dip.
You must be thinking what’s the point of making cream cheese at home when it is soo readily available in grocery stores in different flavours. My answer is simple- because homemade cream cheese taste better, smoother, creamier with NO preservatives.
Making cream cheese at home is way easier than you probably think. The milk and cream need to be curdled with lemon/any other acid like vinegar. When the mixture coagulates, it is strained to collect all the curds and run through the food processor until smooth and creamy. Voila! Fresh cream cheese is ready! Use it as it is or flavour it with herbs, vegetables, or fruits.
This cream cheese recipe is simple and easy with only 4 ingredients.
Ingredients
1.5 litres full fat milk
250 ml cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Boil milk in a pan on medium heat. Add the cream once the milk has boiled. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir it continuously until the milk is curdled. There should be a green liquid on the bottom and thick curdles on top. Remove from the heat. Strain the curdled milk in a muslin cloth and drain the excess water. Squeeze out the excess water and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the curds to a food processor and add salt. Process until the curds have come together to a smooth and creamy texture. It should take around 3-4 minutes. Keep going if the cream cheese is grainy. Transfer it to a bowl and cover it with a cling film. Chill in the fridge for around 1-2 hours before using.
