Deliciously creamy cheeses (+recipes)

One of my accomplishments last year was to create delicious ricotta at a local cheese-making class. Ricotta is simple to make and yummy to eat while still warm with herbs, local olive oil and crusty bread. (My parmesan experiment was less successful. After six weeks maturing in the refrigerator, the mouldy green lump tasted nothing like grana padano.)

To make ricotta, place two litres of milk in a large, heavy saucepan and heat to 94C, stirring slowly to prevent the milk burning on the base. Leaving the pan on the heat, slowly add 50ml of white or cider vinegar mixed with half a glass of water. Stir gently across and back and you will see lumps forming. When the liquid around the lumps goes clear and greenish, stop stirring. You may not need all the vinegar mixture.

When the ricotta forms on top, drain through a sieve or mould.

This low-fat cheese is excellent in various ethnic recipes, but particularly Italian.

Crumbly, tangy and salty, feta is a classic Greek cheese traditionally made from sheep or goat's milk. However, cow's milk feta is more common in New Zealand. Feta is excellent as a snack, on cheeseboards, crumbled on soups, salads or pizzas, in muffins, dips and stuffings or as part of an antipasto platter.

Cream cheese was created by the Americans in 1872. The soft, unripened cheese made from cow's milk contains about 33 per cent milk fat. Light or low-fat cream cheese has about half the calories. When whipping fresh cream, add a little cream cheese - it will hold its shape better. Cream cheese is an excellent spread for breads or muffins, and is a good base for dips, icings and desserts like cheesecake and Tiramisu.

Fresh mozzarella is a treat. Although traditional mozzarella is prepared from buffalo milk, local delis and supermarkets also sell cow's milk mozzarella. It is normally packaged in whey or water. It has a sweet, delicate flavour that compliments sweet and savoury foods. Bocconcini are balls of fresh mozzarella about 3cm in diameter.

BAKED RASPBERRY RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

A low-fat delight.

Cheesecake: 500g ricotta cheese

1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup low-fat plain yoghurt

1/2 tsp  vanilla essence

1 tsp  finely grated lemon peel

1 & 1/2 tbsp  cornflour

1/2 cup fresh raspberries, pureed

Raspberry Sauce: 1 & 1/2  cups raspberries (reserve a few for the top)

2 tbsp  icing sugar

Preheat  oven to 180C.  Spray an 18cm  springform pan with non-stick vegetable spray.

Pulse the ricotta in a  processor, until smooth and thick. Add the sugar, eggs, yoghurt, vanilla and lemon peel. Beat in the cornflour.

Pour into the pan. Swirl in the raspberries. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool, then chill until cold.

Put the reserved berries for the top aside. Place the others in a pan with the icing sugar.

Simmer for a few minutes then mash and sieve. Cool.

Drizzle over the chilled cheesecake and top with the reserved berries.

Serves 6.

BAKED EGGPLANT, PARMESAN AND MOZZARELLA

Substitute 1kg of fresh plum tomatoes (skinned, seeded and chopped) for the canned tomatoes, if preferred.

1 onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 400g cans plum tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp  each: marjoram leaves, red wine vinegar

2 medium-large eggplants

1 cup each: basil leaves, finely grated parmesan cheese

150g fresh mozzarella, sliced

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute the onion and garlic until softened.

Chop the tomatoes and add with their juice to the pan. Season and add the marjoram and wine vinegar. Cover and simmer, until reduced.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into 1cm-thick slices. Brush with plenty of olive oil. Grill, barbecue or pan-fry until softened. Preheat the oven to 190C. Lightly oil a 22cm x 15cm baking dish. Spoon a little of the tomato sauce on the base of the dish. Sprinkle with a little parmesan, then top with the eggplant.

Repeat these layers until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan. Top with mozzarella. Bake for 35-35 minutes, until bubbly.

Serves 6.

BAKED FETA WITH HERBS

200g feta cheese

3-4 tbsp  extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp  each: chopped rosemary leaves, thyme

1 small spring onion, diced

1 sundried tomato diced

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C. Put  the feta in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, spring onion sundried tomato and black pepper.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt. Serve as a nibble with crusty bread.

Serves 2-4.

DOUBLE-CHEESE MUFFINS

These can be cooked in mini or standard muffin pans.

2 cups plain flour

3 tsp  baking powder

1/4  tsp  salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup grated tasty cheddar cheese

1 egg

1 cup milk

50g butter, melted

75g cream cheese, diced

Preheat the oven to 220C. Lightly grease a 9-hole standard muffin pan. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the cheddar cheese and mix well. Make a well in the centre.

Beat the egg and milk together. Add the butter and mix well. Combine with the dry ingredients until just moistened. Half-fill the muffin holes with the muffin mixture. Add a little cream cheese then top up with the remaining muffin mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and cooked.

Makes 9 standard-sized muffins.