Sage Goat Cheese Ebelskivers Makes 21

1 recipe “Basic Batter”

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

21 small fresh sage leaves or 2 1/2 Tablespoons of any chopped fresh herb you desire

3 1/2 Tablespoons chilled and crumbled goat cheese

- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees to keep the finished pancakes warm as you continue to cook the rest.

- Prepare the batter. (If using chopped fresh herbs, add to the batter)

- Brush the wells of the ebelskiver pan with some of the melted butter and place on the stove top over medium heat. With the butter starts to bubble, carefully lay 1 sage leaf on the bottom of each well, then add 1 tablespoon batter.

- Working quickly, carefully spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the goat cheese into the center of each pancake and top each with another 1 tablespoon of batter.

- Cook until the bottoms of the pancakes are lightly browned and crisp, 3-5 minutes. Use two wooden skewers to turn all the pancakes and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 2-3 minutes longer.

- Transfer the finished pancakes to a platter and keep warm in the oven.

- Serve immediately.

- Enjoy!

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Basic Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated

1 cup whole milk

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour sugar, baking powder and salt.

- In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and melted butter.

- Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well blended. The batter will be lumpy.

- In a clean bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.

- Using as silicone spatula, fold about one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest just until no white streaks remain. Use the batter right away.

Ingredients:
2.6 gallon of whole milk (I use raw unpasturized milk)
6 spoons of mesofilic starting culture
3/4 teaspoon of nitric acid (KNO3)
1/8 teaspoon of calcium chloride
1/2 teaspoon liquid animal rennet, dissolved in 4 spoons of cold not-chloride water
brine with a strength of 20 Beaume, which means 200gr non-iodised salt in 1 liter of water (7oz of salt in 0.26gallon water).
Warm water of about 149F
A 1KG mold for baby Gouda (preferrably a Kadova with net)

Warm the milk slowly to 84.5F
Add the Calcium chloride and the starter and stirr well.
Let the starter set for about 45 minutes, keeping the milk at the same temperature.
Add the KNO3 and the rennet and stirr well.
Let the rennet do its job for about 35 minutes and check for a clean break.
Cut the curd into pieces of about half an inch and stirr for about 15 minutes
Let the curd sink for 10 minutes
Remove about one third of the whey
Use warm water to raise the temperature in 10 minutes to 97F under continuous stirring.
Keep stirring for another 30 minutes.
Put the mold in warm water. Molds with net not warmer than 104F !!
Let the curd rest for 5 minutes
Remove all or as much as possible of the whey.
Crumble the curds into the warm mold and fill it well.
Put the follower on top, flip the mold and let it drain for about 15 minutes.
Flip the mold to the normal position and press with 8.8lbs (4Kg) for 2 hours, flip the cheese after 1 hours.
Let it dry in room temperature for about 6 hours.
Put it in the brine for 10-12 hours, turn the cheese several times
As soon as the cheese is dry after brining, coat it (I use a liquid plastic coating)
Store it in the cave at about 57F and 80-85% RH
Coat it again after 4 or 5 days.
Let it mature for 3 - 12 weeks.

Swiss Cheese

Things you will need:

1 gallon of whole milk, 1/2 packet of direct-set thermophilic starter or 2 ounces of prepared thermophilic starter, 1/2 teaspoon of propionic shermanii powder, 1/4 teaspoon of liquid rennet or a 1/4 renbet tablet, 1 pound of cheese salt, for brine, plus a pinch of cheese salt, 1/2 gallon of cold water, for brine. curd knife, stainless steel whisk, cheesecloth. ladle

Step1 Heat the milk to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the starter and mix well.

Step2 Remove 1/4 cup of milk from the pot and add the propionic shermanii to it. Mix thoroughly to dissolve the powder. Add the mixture to the milk and stir. Cover and allow the milk to ripen for approximately 10 minutes.

Step3 Make sure that the milk’s temperature ALWAYS remains at 90 degrees. Add the diluted rennet and stir gently with an up-and-down motion for approximately 1 minute. If you are wanting to use farm fresh cow’s milk, top stir for several minutes longer. Cover and let the milk set at 90 degrees for approximately 30 miutes.

Step4 Using a curd knife and a stainless-steel whisk, cut the curd into 1/4 inch cubes.

Step5 Keeping the curd temperatures at 90 degrees, gently stir the curds for approximately 40 minutes. This is called fore-working and helps expel whey from the curds before they are heated.

Step6 Heat the curds by one degree every minute until the temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take approximately 30 minutes. Maintain the temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit for another 30 minutes, stirring often. The curds must be cooked until they reach a stage called the “proper break.” To test for this, wad together a handful of curds and rub it gently between your palms. It the ball readily breaks apart into individual particles, the curds are sufficiently cooked. If they are not sufficiently cooked, they will be too soft to hold the cheese together. Let the curds set for approximately 5 minutes.

Step7 Pour off the whey and reserve it for other recipes.

Step8 Line a 1 pound mold with cheesecloth and place it in the sink or over a large pot. Quickly ladle the curds into the mold. You do not want the curds to cool. Press at 8-10 pounds of pressure for approximately 15 minutes.

Step9 Remove the cheese from the mold and gently peel away the cheesecloth. Turn over the cheese, re-dress it, and press at 14 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes.

Step10 Repeat the process but press at the same pressure of 14 pounds for 2 hours.

Step11 Repeat the process but press at 15 pounds of pressure for 12 hours.

Step12 Make a saturated brine bath by combining the salt and water in a noncorrosive pot; stir well. Remove the cheese from the mold, peel away the cheesecloth, and soak the cheese in the brine. Sprinkle the remaining pinch of salt on the surface of the floating cheese. Refrigerate the brine and let the cheese soak for 12 hours.

Step13 Remove the cheese from the brine and pat dry. You can reserve the brine for other recipe uses if you so desire. Place the cheese on a clean cheese board and store between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and at 85 percent humidity. Turn the cheese daily for one week, wiping it with a clean cheesecloth dampened in salt water. Do not wet the cheese.

Step14 Place the cheese in a warm, humid room, such as the kitchen, with the temperature between 68 and 74 degrees fahrenheit. Turn it daily and wipe it with a cheesecloth dampened in salt water. Do not wet the surface of the cheese. Let the cheese set for 2-3 weeks, until eye formation is noticeable. The cheese will swell somewhat and become slightly rounded.

Step15 Age the cheese at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. and at 80 percent humidity for at least 3 months. Turn the cheese several times a week. Remove any surface mold with cheesecloth dampened in salt water. A reddish coloration on the surface of the cheese is normal and should not be removed.This recipe will make about 1 pound of cheese. If you want an additional pound, just double the recipe

125g/4½oz butter

500g/1lb 2oz dark brown sugar

120ml/4fl oz milk

250g/9oz crunchy peanut butter

1 vanilla pod, seeds only

300g/10½oz icing sugar

Preparation method

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Stir in the brown sugar and milk, and bring to the boil for 2-3 minutes, without stirring.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla seeds.

Place the icing sugar in a large bowl, and pour the hot butter and sugar mixture on top. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture until smooth.

Pour into a 20cm/8in square baking tray, and set aside to cool slightly, then place in the fridge to chill completely.

Cut the fudge into squares with a sharp knife, turn out of the tin and store in an airtight container.

To view the online Handmade Fudge Recipe

Warm the milk to a temperature of 83-86F
Add 1% starting culture or 2% fresh buttermilk and per 1 gallon of milk 1 ml of liquid rennet.
Put the milk away for about half an hour in a warm place.
Cut the curd into pieces the size pea, this must be done in about 10 minutes (hurray, a unit I don’t have to convert )
Let the curd rest for 5 minutes.
Drain about a third of the whey.
Warm the curd to a temperature of 97F by adding warm water of about 167F (for big cheeses this is done in to parts: first up to 91.5F), stir constantly for 10 minutes.
Let the curd rest for half an hour.
Drain all the whey and put the curd into the molds, manually pressing it firmly into the mold.
Put the follower on the mold, turn the mold upside down and let it drain for 10 minutes.
Press the cheese for 1 hour with twice the weight of the cheese.
Press the cheese for 5 to 6 hours with 5 times the weight of the cheese.
During pressing, regularly turn the cheese by getting it out of the mold, turn it and put it back into the mold.
After pressing, let the cheese dry for 8 to 10 hours in the mold without net or cheese cloth.
After drying put the cheese in the brine, depending on the size for a half up to 3 days.
(Personally I think that’s too long. It’s an old recipe and also noticed that in old books the brine was much stronger, resuting in a much salter cheese)
After the brining the cheese has to dry for 24 hours, before it can be coated or waxed.
Let the cheese ripen for at least 4 weeks.

Well, I think I wil try this myself after our holiday because I’m really curious to see and taste the results.

Ingredients:
2 gallons milk
mesophilic culture (4 tablespoons of mother culture or 1/4 teaspoon of direct starter culture)
4 drops annatto coloring diluted in ¼ cup cool water
¼ teaspoon calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup cool water
¼ tablet vegetable rennet dissolved in ¼ cup cool water
1 tablespoon fresh chives
1 tablespoon dried onion

Directions:
1. Heat milk to 90F and add culture. Cover and ripen for 45 minutes at 90F.
2. Add annatto. Stir in thoroughly.
3. Add calcium chloride. Stir in thoroughly.
4. Add rennet, stir for 1 minute.
5. Keep at 90F and let set for 45 to 90 min. until clean break.
6. Cut curds to ¼ inch cubes.
7. Keep at 90F for 20 min and occasionally gently stir curds to prevent matting.
8. Raise to 104F over 35 min. Stir often enough to prevent matting..
9. Keep at 104F for 30 min. Stir continuously while cooking to prevent matting.
10. Let cooked curds rest for 5 minutes.
11. Drain curds into cheesecloth lined colander.
12. Place colander in pot and cover to keep curds about 100F until whey is done draining.
13. Drain pot completely and move curds into pot. Stir gently to unmat curds.
14. Add chives and onions in multiple steps, stirring gently to mix evenly at each step.
15. Place curds in cheesecloth-lined mold and press at 10 pounds for 15 min.
16. Flip and rewrap and press at 30 pounds for 10 min.
17. Flip and rewrap and press at 40 pounds for 2 hours.
18. Flip and rewrap and press at 50 pounds for 24 hours.
19. Remove from press, wipe down with brine and let dry at room temp until dry and ready to wax.
20. Wax and age at 55F for 1 to 3 months. Turn daily for a couple weeks, then turn weekly.

I want to share with you my recipe of Cabra al Vino (aka Murcia al Vino) which I adapted from the recipe in Tim Smith’s book (The Dutch and unfortunately not everywhere correctly translated version).

I used the following:
10 liters of raw goat milk (about 2.7 US gallon)
6 spoons of mesofile culture (Ice cubes which I took from the freezer the evening before)
1/4 teaspoon calciumchloride, disolved in some cold water. I used it always because I have the experience that it gives more curd and a fermer curd.
1 1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet disolved in some water.
2 bottles of cheap but nevertheless nice Rioja wine.
3 spoons of salt.
about 0.5 gallon of 175F water.

Warm the milk slowly until 90F and add the starting culture. Stir well through.
Cover the milk and let it ripen for about 10 minutes
At the same temperature add the rennet and stir for 1 minute.
Leave the milk covered for 1 hour.
When the curd gives a clean break, cut the curd in pieces about half an inch.
Let the curd rest for 5 minutes.
Drain 1 third of the whey and add enough water of 17 to reach a temperature of the curd of 91.5F
Stir constantly to prevent the curd to mat until you reach 91.5F
Let the curd rest for about 10 minutes, stir every 2 minutes.
Drain the whey until the level of the curd is reached.
Add enough water of 17 to reach a temperature of the curd of 100F.
Hold the curd for 15 minutes at this temperature and stirr frequently.
Let the curd rest for 30 minutes at a temperature of 100F.
Drain all the whey and with your hands break the curd into pieces of 1/4 inch and work the salt through the curd.
Put the curd in the mold (I used 2 Kadova molds for 1 kilo Gouda) and press in firmly into the mold.
Press 20 minutes with 22 lbs
Turn the cheese and press 12 hours with 22 lbs
Turn the cheese and press again for 12 hours with 22 lbs.
Put the cheese in the wine for 24 hours.
According to the original recipe you have to dry the cheese for 6 hours and then put in back into the wine, but for how long?
After a couple of days, when the bottom of the cheese stayed fairly dry for half a day, I coated the cheese with transparent coating.
Store the cheese in a fridge for 3 months at a temperature of 50F and a humidity of 80-85%.
Turn the cheese every day for the first 2 weeks and clean the cheese once a week with brine.

Well, the first cheese didn’t last 3 months. After 45 days, on the birthday of my wife, I cut the cheese, together with a “middle aged” home made Gouda.
Both were excelent, also according to our guests.
The Cabra al Vino had a recognizable scent of wine, a firm texture and a mild taste.
I hope to be patient enough to let the other one ripen for another 45 days….
Attached a picture of the coated Cabra’s and a picture of my batchroom/cheeslab.

Gouda

Ingredients:
4 Gallon Whole Milk
1/4 tsp. MM100 Culture
2 tsp Calcium Chloride mixed in ¼ cup distilled water
1/16 tsp Annatto mixed in ¼ cup distilled water
3/4 tsp liquid veal rennet dissolved in ¼ cup distilled water

Process:
Heat milk to 86 degrees
Add colorant and mix well
Add MM100 culture and float for 2 minutes
Stir in culture using 25 up and down strokes
Allow milk to ripen for 5 minutes
Add Calcium Chloride
5 minutes later add Rennet and stir for 1 minute
Check for flocculation and use multiplier of 3 to determine time to cut
Check for clean break and cut to 3/8”
Heal curd for 5 minutes
Gently stir curd for approx. 20 minutes while checking Ph.
During this time heat pot of water to 130 degrees on stove.
You are looking for a whey Ph of 6.4 to 6.45 before moving to next step

At Ph 6.4 – 6.45 Drain 5 cups of whey and replace with 5 cups of 130 degree water.
Wait 5 minutes and Drain 6 cups of whey and replace with 6 cups of 130 degree water.
Wait 5 minutes and drain 6 cups of whey and replace with 6 cups of 130 degree water.
You will have drained the whey 3 times at the end of this process.
Whey temp should be at 100 – 102 degrees at this point.
If not at 100 – 102 heat the curds and whey to this temperature.
Continue to stir for 20 minutes after 102 is reached. Only stir occasionally.
Allow curd to settle for 5 minutes.
Drain whey to 2 inches above the curd mass.
Press curd under whey for 10 minutes using approx. 8 lbs. Of weight.
Drain whey very well before putting into hoop.
Break up curd mass to fit in cloth lined hoop and use the following to press:
30 minutes at 2 p.s.i.
30 minutes at 4 p.s.i.
Approximately 3 hours at 4 p.s.i. or until whey Ph reaches 5.6 – 5.7 (curd Ph = 5.4 – 5.5)

**NOTE**
WHEY PH SHOULD BE 5.6 – 5.7 AT END OF PRESSING!!

Remove from press and float wheel in a saturated brine solution for 3 – 4 hours PER POUND of cheese. (first attempt required 16 hour brine time using 4 hr. per pound).
Age cheese for 2 weeks – 2 months before consuming.
Vacuum bag cheese after air drying for 1 – 3 days or until dry to the touch.