So you’ve picked up a baker’s dozen of bagels from your local bakery, but smearing those golden circles with store bought cream cheese seems like a travesty. Luckily, cream cheese is one of the easiest cheeses to make at home- making it a hassle-free option when it’s your turn to host a boozy brunch. Is there any snack more satisfying than a cream cheese and cucumber bagel? I think not.
Dill Cream Cheese Ingredients:
3 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
Fresh Dill
Tools:
Hamilton Beach Professional Food Processor
Cheesecloth
Method:
1. Add milk and cream to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a rolling boil
2. Reduce your heat to medium and slowly add 1 tbsp of vinegar, wait about 3-5 minutes and add the remaining vinegar.
3. Add 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and remove from heat, allow to cool for 10 minutes.
4. While the curd is forming and cooling, line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a bowl.
5. Strain your curds from the whey.
6. Squeeze out the extra whey. (I got about 2 cups of whey from my curd).
7. Time to “cream” your cheese.
8. Add fresh dill, salt and cheese curd into your food processor and blend on medium until smooth.
Pro Tip: once you start adding the vinegar do not stir vigorously, this will break up the curd and not allow it to form properly. Use a spatula and gently stir back and forth not forgetting to scrape down the sides of the pan.
Pro Tip: you can save the whey as a great marinade for the meat. The acid from the milk and vinegar breaks it down and makes meat extra tender.
TAGS: bagel, cream cheese, dill, food processor, Sylvanus Urban
CATEGORIES: breakfast, Everyday Recipes, Sylvanus Urban
