Description
Homemade cream cheese elevates bagels and baked goods with creamy, tangy goodness. Chefs can master this simple spread easily, creating a delightful ingredient for countless culinary adventures.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups / 32 fl oz whole milk
- 8 oz / 226 g cream cheese
- 3–4 tbsps / 45-60 ml fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 tsp / 2.5 ml salt
Instructions
- Milk Preparation: Gently heat whole milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium temperature until subtle bubbling appears across the surface.
- Curdling Process: Add fresh lemon juice to the warm milk, swirling with a slotted spoon to trigger immediate curd separation from liquid whey, then remove from heat and allow natural curdling.
- Straining Technique: Position fine-mesh cheesecloth over a sturdy strainer, carefully pour the curdled mixture, and let whey drain completely while collecting dense, creamy curds.
- Moisture Extraction: Delicately press and squeeze remaining liquid from curds using clean hands, ensuring maximum moisture removal.
- Texture Refinement: Transfer curds to a food processor, sprinkle salt, and blend continuously for 3-4 minutes until achieving a silky, uniform consistency with no visible lumps.
- Chilling and Storing: Scoop processed cream cheese into a sealed container, refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes to harmonize flavors and stabilize texture, then briefly stir before serving to ensure smoothness and spreadability.
Notes
- Choose the Right Pan: Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to ensure even heat distribution and prevent scorching during milk heating.
- Watch Milk Closely: Monitor milk temperature carefully, looking for subtle bubbles that indicate perfect curdling stage without burning.
- Handle Curds Gently: Press and drain curds delicately to maintain a soft, creamy texture without squeezing out too much moisture.
- Blend for Smoothness: Process cream cheese thoroughly in a food processor for 3-4 minutes to eliminate lumps and create a silky, uniform consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Breakfast, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 265
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 123 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg