Creole cream cheese is Louisiana's answer to ricotta or burrata cheese. It’s made with skim milk, buttermilk, and rennet and has a dry texture, though it’s slightly sweeter and more tart than ricotta or burrata. Traditionally, it’s eaten with cream, sugar, and fruit spooned over the top or used as a substitute for yogurt.  

　　  

　　Creole cream cheese nearly became extinct in recent history, and there was a huge local movement to help save it from disappearing. More recently, there’s been an uptick in popularity, and it’s now a flavor in almost all ice cream shops in NOLA.  

　　  

　　I personally like to smear it on a biscuit and top that with fruit preserves as a breakfast go-to (or, let’s be honest, a middle-of-the-day snack). At Willa Jean, we use it in various applications: as an ice cream on our red velvet dessert and also as the (not-so) secret ingredient in our banana bread. We periodically offer cheesecakes and Creole cream cheese custards at our front counter as well. To make your own Creole cream cheese, you will need rennet tablets, which are available at many health foods stores and online.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 1½ quarts

　　2 quarts skim milk

　　1⁄4 cup buttermilk

　　1 rennet tablet

　　

Step 1

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium heat with a kitchen thermometer attached to the rim, warm the milk and buttermilk to 85°F. Add one-quarter of the rennet tablet and transfer the mixture to a plastic container or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and then poke a few holes in the plastic to allow the steam to escape. Let stand at room temperature in a cool spot in your house for 48 hours.

　　

Step 2

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a double layer of cheesecloth set over a bowl and discard the liquid. Wrap the solids in the cheesecloth and hang it over the bowl (to catch the whey) in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

　　

Step 3

Discard the whey. Pack the cheese into an airtight plastic container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Good Book of Southern Baking by Kelly Fields with Kate Heddings, copyright (c) 2020. Published by Lorena Jones Books, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.