Homemade cream cheese

1. Pour the room-temperature milk into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, heat for 13 minutes/speed setting 1/100 °C. Squeeze the lemons. Pour the lemon juice into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, cook with the reverse button/6 minutes/speed setting 1.
2. Line a large sieve with a clean tea towel or muslin cloth and suspend it over a large bowl. Carefully shake the cheese mixture out of the blender jug into the lined sieve. Leave to drain for 20 minutes. Carefully squeeze out any remaining liquid. Clean out the blender jug.
3. Put the cheese mixture into the blender jug, add 2 teaspoons of salt and the crème fraîche, and, with the measuring beaker in place, mix together for 30 seconds/speed setting 3.

VARIATIONS

1) With sundried tomatoes and olives

½ bunch of parsley

50 g sundried tomatoes

50 g pitted olives (green or black)

½ tsp pepper

Wash the parsley, shake it dry and tear the leaves from their stalks. After cleaning the blender jug, put the parsley into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, chop for 8 seconds/speed setting 6. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and olives, and, with the measuring beaker in place, chop for 5 seconds/speed setting 5. Use the spatula to scrape everything down the inside of the blender jug.

Put the cheese mixture, ½ teaspoon of pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt and 50 g crème fraîche into the blender jug, and, with the measuring beaker in place, mix together for 30 seconds/speed setting 3.

2) With red pepper and chives

1 red pepper (150 g)

½ bunch of chives

2 tsp ajvar

½ tsp pepper

After cleaning the blender jug, cut the pepper into quarters, remove the seeds and stalk, and wash it inside and out. Put the pepper into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, chop for 5 seconds/speed setting 7.

Wash the chives, shake them dry and cut them into short lengths. Put the cheese mixture, chives, ajvar, 2 teaspoons of salt and 50 g crème fraîche into the blender jug, and, with the measuring beaker in place, mix together for 30 seconds/speed setting 3.

3) With rocket and walnuts

20 g shelled walnuts

1 red onion (80 g)

1 handful of rocket leaves (15 g)

½ tsp pepper

After cleaning the blender jug, toast the shelled walnuts in a dry pan.

Peel and halve the onion, put it into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, chop with the turbo button. Use the spatula to scrape the mixture down the inside of the blender jug.

Wash the rocket, shake it dry and sort through it, removing any thick stalks. Put the rocket and shelled walnuts into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, chop for 5 seconds/speed setting 6. Use the spatula to scrape the mixture down the inside of the blender jug again.

Put the cheese mixture, pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt and 50 g crème fraîche into the blender jug, and, with the measuring beaker in place, mix together for 30 seconds/speed setting 3.

TIPS

You can drink the whey from the drained cheese on its own or mixed with fruit juice.

If you do not have a large sieve or suitable bowl, you can first decant the cheese mixture from the blender jug, clean out the jug, and then insert the cooking pot, lined with a cloth.

Keep the cream cheese in a sealable container in the fridge and use within 3 days.