How many times has it happened that you come across an ingredient in a recipe that is not easily available? Cannot say about you guys but it has happened to me a million times, probably more than that as I live in one of the remotest North-eastern villages in India. But, that does not deter me from trying new dishes from cuisines around the world. I try to make a lot of items from scratch that are not readily available and can be made at home with regular ingredients. The effort and time to make the dish increases but trust me if you love cooking the entire process will be therapeutic. I will be sharing such recipes which can be made from scratch to make life a bit easier for you as well. Also, making it from scratch at home will always save you a few bucks than buying it from a store.
In this blog I will be putting up steps to make Cream Cheese from scratch. Do not get intimidated by reading the word "cheese", contrary to the common belief cheese making is not impossible at home. If you have made Cottage Cheese or Paneer before or have seen someone make it then this recipe should be quite familiar. The process is more or less the same, only difference is the fat or cream content in the milk and blending of the curds later on to attain a smooth consistency. You can add various herbs and seasonings to this cheese to make flavoured cream cheese and use it as a spread for your breads/beagles or as a dip. You can also make various desserts using this homemade cream cheese, most common one being Cheesecake or use it for frosting your cakes. This recipe will give you 2 cups of cream cheese, increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients to make your preferred quantity. You can store it for 4-5 days covered and refrigerated.
Ingredients:
Full Cream Milk - 1 litre
Cream - 700 ml
Lemon juice - 6 tbsp or more
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Mix the milk and cream together and heat it till it simmers or reaches 70 degrees C.
2. Add 4 tbsp lemon juice, the milk will curdle slowly. Wait for 10 mins for the milk to curdle completely keeping the gas on medium, do not let it boil. When you see whey seperate from milk curds add the remaining 2 tbsp of lemon juice to give the cheese its dominant tart flavour. Whey is a greenish translucent liquid. You might have to add more lemon juice if the milk takes longer to curdle.
3. Strain the milk curds using a muslin or cheese cloth, you can also use a big sized fine mesh strainer. Let it sit for 20 mins to remove the excess whey. You can store this whey for curdling milk in future or you can use it in gravies, its very healthy.
4. After 20 mins shift the curds into a blender, add salt to taste (around a tsp). Blend till it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. In case your cream cheese turns out a bit stiff, add a tablespoon or two of whey liquid to attain the required consistency. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and store refrigerated in an airtight container.
NOTE:
Once refrigerated, bring the cream cheese to room temperature before using.
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