Cream Cheese

I don't know about you, but I do enjoy cream cheese on my crackers or toast. I used to buy what the store had to offer but after reading the ingredients with my brain, instead of my stomach, I decided that Trader Joe's would be a cleaner product.TJ's did have a much healthier product but the taste was not to my palate. (doesn't that sound high fallutin?). That meant no more cream cheese for me.

Then I remembered that somewhere in my recipe pile, I had a recipe. About 35 years ago I tore it out of a Sunset magazine. I haven't made it in a long time. Like anything that it is old, it needed some tuning up. It has taken 3 times recently to get it to my liking. I make it with non fat milk but I have found that that makes a slightly bitter cheese. The texture is good but the recipe needed more fat. So, this time I used whole 1/2 & 1/2, instead of fat free 1/2 & 1/2. Now, it is fine.

It is very easy. You heat the milk and 1/2 & 1/2 to 120 degrees. Mix in the buttermilk. Set out on your counter (covered but vented) for about a day and a half. When good, firm curds form, pour into a cheese cloth lined colander and drain off the whey, making sure the colander is in a pan or bowl large enough to catch the drippings. Some people drink the whey. I give it to the dogs. Then, cover it with plastic wrap tightly, put in refrigerator for another day. After that, take it out, scrape off cheese into a bowl, add a small amount of salt and then get out the crackers.

There are a lot of herbs you can add for an extra treat. I have been adding pimentos.
I used 1 1/4 quart non fat milk and 1 cup 1/2 & 1/2. But this is the beauty of making something for yourself, you can please yourself!!