Creole Cream Cheese

From the kitchen of Carly

A New Orleans classic worth the two-day wait. This delicate, custard-like cheese requires patience and a cool corner of your kitchen, rewarding you with silky curds that taste faintly tangy and luxuriously rich. Serve chilled with fruit or honey.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 12 quarts skim milk
  • 11⁄4 cup buttermilk
  • 11 rennet tablet

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium heat with a kitchen thermometer attached to the rim, warm the milk and buttermilk to 85°F. Add one-quarter of the rennet tablet and transfer the mixture to a plastic container or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and then poke a few holes in the plastic to allow the steam to escape. Let stand at room temperature in a cool spot in your house for 48 hours.

  2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a double layer of cheesecloth set over a bowl and discard the liquid. Wrap the solids in the cheesecloth and hang it over the bowl (to catch the whey) in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

  3. Discard the whey. Pack the cheese into an airtight plastic container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.