How to Make Ricotta Cheese

Sometimes a cheesecake recipe will call for Ricotta which is a bit more buttery than Cottage Cheese IMO. it also makes an excellent addition to cheese blintzs.


Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe
Ingredients:
3 quarts milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 ounces plain unsweetened yogurt

1. Place milk and lemon juice in a bowl, cover and allow to sit for 36 hours - in the lower part of the refrigerator.
2. After the setting time mix in yogurt and bring mixture to a rolling boil until it clearly cuts.
3. If the mixture doesn't cut after reaching a boil add a little more lemon juice and boil again.
4. Drain off the whey using a large strainer lined with cheese cloth, gauze or similar material.
5. Pull up the corners of the cloth, tie and let the ball of cheese hang for one hour.
6. Refrigerate.
7. Makes over a pound of good sweet ricotta-type cheese
8. Keeps refrigerated for about 2 days.
   

How To Make Sour Cream

The next installment of our how to series is how to make Sour Cream. It looks really easy, do not put your jar on the heat register or else you'll end up with ricotta cheese.


Sour Cream:

Ingredients:
2 cups light cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions:

1. Combine cream with buttermilk in hot, clean glass canning jar that has been heating in boiling water.
2. Cover tightly and shake gently to thoroughly mix.
3. Let stand in a warm place - like where you put bread to rise) till thickened (24-48 hours).
4. Store, covered in refrigerator.
5. Stir before serving.
6. Use within three weeks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

This looks really yummy, but I wouldn't call it a cheesecake. There is no cheese in it.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust
1-1/2 cups ground shortbread cookies
1/4 cup unsalted melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch cinnamon

Cheesecake
1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough or homemade *
3 14 ounce can condensed milk
tiniest pinch salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Use any chocolate chip cookie dough that requires 1/2 cup butter in it.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In the bottom of a 9 inch cheesecake or springform pan, toss the crust ingredients together and press into pan bottom. Set aside.
4. Cut up the cookie dough in chunks (about 1 inch or less) and set aside.
5. Dump everything but the chocolate chips in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Turn out half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter on most of the cookie dough chunks.
7. Top with the remaining batter, more chunks, and the chocolate chips.
8. Place the pan on the baking sheet.
9. Place in the oven and bake until just set, reducing temperature to 325 F around mid point, and bake a total of 35-45 minutes.
10. Cool in the oven with door open and oven turned off.
11. Then refrigerate several hours or overnight.
    

Recipe by: Marcy Goldman - Marcy's Kosher Cuisine
Yield: Serves 10