Chevre and Lemon Goat Cheese Cake from Jules Food

Jules and Ruby-What a Dynamic Duo!

We love Jules Food.  The pictures are fabulous and Ruby does a fine job of writing, even without opposable thumbs. 
 
This past September, we featured an article Jules and Ruby wrote about Skyr.  Then, recently,Ruby contacted us to say she had found the most delicious dessert ever (Jules was still in the kitchen cleaning up!).  Ruby pointed us to her Lemon Goat Cheese Cake recipe and we knew you would be interested.

Of course, you can buy the chevre for it, but it's much more fun to make it yourself.  There are about a million variations of this recipe, but Jules couldn't resist using Martha Stewart's:


CHEVRE... Real Goat Cheese

By Jules Food

(Recipes for printing at the end of this article.)



CHEVRE... aka Goat Cheese

finally, i have mastered the real deal.

"this tastes just like the cheese we had in Paris"



my obsession with cheese and yogurts has not subsided...yet.

there is something sooooo satisfying about making your own dairy products.  i'm asked all the time,

"why don't you just buy it?"...

i love the whole science of it and the smell of cheese and yogurt hanging in the fridge, but most of all it's the anticipation...

"is it ready yet?...when do i get to eat it !?"



goat cheese is one of my favorites of the cheese family...it's such a versatile product that can be eaten as is or as a star ingredient.

recently i came across what i am now calling my favorite dessert of the season...the year...probably in my all-time top ten.

it's a Lemon Goat Cheese Cake found at Foodbabbles.com  i was able to use some of my homemade goat cheese and, of course, it sent it to the top of the list.

i'll be posting about it soon...it is a MUST TRY !!!  please visit Kate's blog and see for yourself this wonder-treat.  she has great photos and step by step instructions for a no-fail winner.



there are a few ways to make your own goat cheese and i have tried these easy methods (as seen in this post) using lemon or vinegar...this is  before i knew any better..

but this method and recipe is FAR SUPERIOR !

one very important ingredient you will need is the right culture.  i found mine at a home brewing company out in Mission Viejo, CA.  there are also places to get this over the Internet...buy your rennet at a big health food store.

i've just ran out of my little packets of Mesophilic culture so i might want to try the packets available HERE at cheesemaking.com.  their packets contain the culture and the rennet all in one so there is no mixing and no room for error.  the beginner kit looks good, but not really necessary to get all the extras.  i was wondering how different culture will effect the out come...i'll have to get back to you on this.

there are many many many blogs and sites on how to make homemade goat cheese and some of the instructions get too involved...this is a really easy process...even i got it right the first time.



i thought who better to go-to than a woman who owns her own goats...Martha Stewart!...and she probably has some prize winning goats at that.

honestly...does she really make her own goat cheese?...or does she have someone do it for her...

HOMEMADE CHEVRE...GOAT CHEESE

found at Martha Stewart.com

this is for 1/2 the original recipe found at link above

1/2 gallon (2qts) pasteurized goat milk...NOT ultra pasteurized

1/8 tsp powdered Mesophilic DVI culture..1 used 1 packet C101

1-2 drops liquid rennet

1 tsp kosher salt (or to your taste)

1. add goat milk to a large non reactive sauce pan or stock pot.  use low-medium heat until the milk reaches exactly 75 F degrees on an instant read thermometer.

2.  add the powdered culture and the liquid rennet to a small bowl.  add 2 Tbsp of the warm milk and stir until well combined (no lumps of culture).  add this small mixture to the large pot of warm goat milk.  cover and leave at room temperature overnight.  i have left it for 15-20 hours.

3.  cut the set curds across the pot and again the other way.  same as seen here in my Skyr post for Icelandic Yogurt.

set a large colander over a large pot/bowl and line with double layer cheese cloth or i prefer a nice clean square of reusable muslin.  the bowl underneath the colander must be big enough to catch quite a bit of whey that will drain.  carefully transfer the mixture into the colander.  Martha says to cover this with cheesecloth, i just covered it with a lid that fit on top of the colander.

let this set at room temperature overnight...mine sat about 15 hours.

remove from cheesecloth,  discard liquid and transfer cheese to bowl and mix in salt (and, or other flavors)...don't forget to taste test.  it's a lot easier to flavor the cheese before it is chilled and you want it to incorporate if using fresh herbs.
store in refrigerator in airtight container, ramekin or shape into log wrapping in plastic wrap.

i took 1/2 the cheese and shaped it into a log for a more spreadable cheese and the other 1/2 i kept in the muslin and let hang in the fridge for another 8 hours.  this created a more crumbly cheese.

served on crisp seeded baguette with fresh fruit and your favorite preserves
makes a tasty snack or a fabulous brunch side.

Lemon Goat Cheese Cake - Incredibly Delicious!



LEMON GOAT CHEESE CAKE

this cake is unbelievably delicious !

absolutely my favorite dessert this year...and now one of my all time favorites.



light, fresh, moist and lemony with just a hint of tang from the goat cheese.  not like a regular cheesecake because it's not so dense...not like a cake because it has no crumble...it's just that perfect balance that doesn't fill you up, but doesn't leave you hanging.  a fabulous dessert for a late Summer Sunday brunch or after a heavy BBQ extravaganza. 

i've been making Homemade Goat Cheese lately and was searching around for any and all things "goatie", i came across this recipe from a fellow blogger named Kate at Food Babbles.  she has a fabulous blog and she is one of those much needed foodies that gives incredibly easy instructions with photos as you go...no room for error.  i diligently followed along and the result was this fabulous cheese cakie treat...

AND, i must add, being able to use some of my homemade goat cheese sent it over the top in my book.

by the way...goat cheese is one of the easiest cheeses to make...you just need the right stuff. 



GOAT CHEESE CAKE

normally i would to say "adapted from", but in this case i did not change a thing.  i have printed out the ingredients and instructions so you can get a quick overview, BUT i really think you should visit Kate at Food Babbles to get the full photo low-down.  follow her step by step and you will have complete success as i did.  many many thanks to Kate

11 oz. goat cheese (see Homemade Goat Cheese if you want to go the extra mile)
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting pan
finely minced lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 egg yolks at room temp.
6 egg whites at room temp.
3 Tbsp flour.

preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. butter a 9" spring form pan and dust the inside with granulated sugar...don't skip this.
mix together cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla...beat until smooth.
mix in egg yolks, one at a time at low speed.
next, add the flour.
in another CLEAN bowl beat the egg whites until peaks form.
gently fold whites into goat cheese mixture...make sure you don't over mix.
spread the batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
cool on a wire rack
once cake is completely cooled, refrigerate until chilled

this cake is fabulous as-is with a few fresh berries...for some i added a little dollop of blueberry preserves and fresh thyme. Kate dressed hers up with a yummy raspberry sauce.

More at Jules Food

Recipes for Printing

HOMEMADE CHEVRE...GOAT CHEESE
found at Martha Stewart.com

this is for 1/2 the original recipe found at link above
1/2 gallon (2qts) pasteurized goat milk...NOT ultra pasteurized
1/8 tsp powdered Mesophilic DVI culture..1 used 1 packet Mesophilic MW3 from Mad Millie
1-2 drops liquid rennet
1 tsp kosher salt (or to your taste)

1. add goat milk to a large non reactive sauce pan or stock pot. use low-medium heat until the milk reaches exactly 75 F degrees on an instant read thermometer.

2. add the powdered culture and the liquid rennet to a small bowl. add 2 Tbsp of the warm milk and stir until well combined (no lumps of culture). add this small mixture to the large pot of warm goat milk. cover and leave at room temperature overnight. i have left it for 15-20 hours.

3. cut the set curds across the pot and again the other way. same as seen here in my Skyr post for Icelandic Yogurt.

set a large colander over a large pot/bowl and line with double layer cheese cloth or i prefer a nice clean square of reusable muslin. the bowl underneath the colander must be big enough to catch quite a bit of whey that will drain. carefully transfer the mixture into the colander. Martha says to cover this with cheesecloth, i just covered it with a lid that fit on top of the colander.

let this set at room temperature overnight...mine sat about 15 hours.

remove from cheesecloth, discard liquid and transfer cheese to bowl and mix in salt (and, or other flavors)...don't forget to taste test. it's a lot easier to flavor the cheese before it is chilled and you want it to incorporate if using fresh herbs.

store in refrigerator in airtight container, ramekin or shape into log wrapping in plastic wrap.

i took 1/2 the cheese and shaped it into a log for a more spreadable cheese and the other 1/2 i kept in the muslin and let hang in the fridge for another 8 hours. this created a more crumbly cheese.

any way you serve this i guarantee you and your guests will be pleasantly sated


GOAT CHEESE CAKE

normally i would to say "adapted from", but in this case i did not change a thing.  i have printed out the ingredients and instructions so you can get a quick overview, BUT i really think you should visit Kate at Food Babbles to get the full photo low-down.  follow her step by step and you will have complete success as i did.  many many thanks to Kate

11 oz. goat cheese (see Homemade Goat Cheese if you want to go the extra mile)
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting pan
finely minced lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 egg yolks at room temp.
6 egg whites at room temp.
3 Tbsp flour.

preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. butter a 9" spring form pan and dust the inside with granulated sugar...don't skip this.
mix together cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla...beat until smooth.
mix in egg yolks, one at a time at low speed.
next, add the flour.
in another CLEAN bowl beat the egg whites until peaks form.
gently fold whites into goat cheese mixture...make sure you don't over mix.
spread the batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
cool on a wire rack
once cake is completely cooled, refrigerate until chilled