Walnut cream cheese

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 500 g quark
• 200 ml whipped cream
• 200 g sour cream
• Walnuts, chopped to taste
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 2 days; Total time approx. 2 days 30 minutes

homemade cream cheese with walnuts

First, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Then, in a bowl, combine the quark with the sour cream, salt, and sugar. Use enough salt to be almost too much, as the whey will drain away most of it! Chop one or two handfuls of walnuts. (Coarse or fine, depending on your preference; I personally prefer a bit more “crunchy”). Now add the nut pieces to the quark and sour cream mixture, stir, and carefully fold in the whipped cream. Whipping the cream makes the cream cheese nice and fluffy. Now comes the special trick for those who don’t have a Tupperware strainer: Take a few coffee filters, cut off the stiffer sides, and fold them apart. Moisten them slightly with water (just holding them under the tap is enough). All you need now is a colander, which you line with the moistened coffee filters, and pour in the mixture! Place a deep plate under the sieve to prevent the draining whey from dripping into the cream cheese. Let it stand overnight at room temperature, ideally covered with a cloth to prevent any foreign matter or “blackheads” from getting into the cream cheese. After 12 hours, transfer it to sealable containers. A little whey may still settle; this is completely normal. You can taste it now, but the cheese tastes best after it has been allowed to mature for at least two days. Served with fresh bread or a roll, it’s truly a treat!