Chocolate Cheese by Kim Odland

Kim Odland

We love to receive recipes from cheese makers.  We can't test them all, but we can share them with you.  (Be sure to leave a comment if you make this one.)

Our technical advisor, Jim Wallace read this one over and made a change to the amount of culture called for in Kim's recipe.  Of course, there are millions of variations in cheese recipes.  Our motto:  A recipe is just the beginning of your cheese making adventure.  Create!!!

I asked Kim to tell us a bit about himself:

I live in Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada.  (Esquimalt is a township within the Greater Victoria BC Area) here on the west coast of Canada.  I am with the Canadian military;  My trade is called Resource Management Support Clerk.  I wear the Navy uniform and my present rank is Leading Seaman.

I was into beer and wine making before, but since I live in an small apartment with a tiny kitchen, I had to give that hobby up.  I started cheese making just a few months ago because I wanted to do a hobby with my brains and hands.

I give away most of the cheeses I make, since I want other people's opinion or suggestions and I can't eat that much cheese. :D

How I ended up making the chocolate cheese:  I was wondering one day if anyone had made a chocolate cheese.  I went onto Google to search and I found an article which I can't find again.
In this article, they told how they tried to make chocolate cheese from milk and cocoa powder and it was a disaster.  I decided to try myself, except that I would use the store-bought pre-made chocolate milk.  So I tried it and it worked well for me.

Kim's chocolate cheese

Chocolate Cheese TM
By Kim Odland
 
Ingredients:

4L (1 gallon) chocolate milk*
1L (1 quart) whipping cream 33%**  (Heating the cream to 100F before adding to milk will help it blend better.)
2.5mL (1/2 teaspoon) calcium chloride mixed with 30mL (6 teaspoons) distilled water
1.25mL of Kazu 1000 culture direct (produces a slightly nutty flavor found in aged cheddar, parmesan, gouda and asiago type cheeses)  (We would suggest using 1/2 the amount of each culture.)
1.25mL (1/4 teaspoon) of a basic mesophilic culture direct (1/2 packet of C101 or 1/4 teaspoon MA011)
2.5mL (1/2 teaspoon) vegetable rennet with 30mL distilled water (if using veal rennet, 1/4 teaspoon)
Kosher salt and crystal sugar mixture (about 15mL (3 teaspoons) salt to 65mL (13 teaspoons) sugar)

Directions:

Have the the milk and cream sit in the kitchen for about two hours to come to room temperature.
 
Pour it into the pot and mix in the calcium chloride solution (mixed with the distilled water).  I use a balloon whisk.

Turn on the stove and slowly bring up to 33C (91F), stirring with the whisk if the cream starts coming up.

Once reaching the temperature; add the Kazu and let sit for one minute, then stir with the whisk for one minute.

Add the mesophilic culture and let sit for one minute, then stir with the whisk for one minute.

Cover, then let it ripen for 1 hour.
 
Mix in the rennet with the whisk for one minute. (The reason I used a higher amount of rennet for the smaller amount of milk is due to the high cream content.  I discovered that it didn't fully come together until after 3 hours because there is a very high cream content.)
 
Cut the curds into approximately 2.54cm (1 inch) cubes. The curds are still very loose.
 
Let the cut curds rest for 10 minutes.
 
Ladle the curds into a butter muslin lined colander and let set overnight (covered to keep bugs out).  

Six or 7 hours later, tie up the four corners of the butter muslin, slip a spoon through the tied corners and let hang over the pot during the day.
 
8-10 hours later, spoon the cheese into a butter muslin lined baby gouda mould, covered with the butter muslin and the follower.
 
In the sink I cover the mould with a cookie sheet.  Put a 4L (1 gallon) milk container 3/4 filled with water on top of the sheet.  Leave it for 30 minutes.

Pull the cheese from the mould and flip it, pressing again with the 4L milk container 3/4 full for about 5 more hours.

Pull the cheese from the mould and flipped it, pressing again overnight with the 4L milk container completely full.
 
Take it out of the mould and cover all sides with salt/sugar mixture.
 
Enjoy it the next day or a couple of days later.  This cheese needs to be eaten very fresh because of its high moisture content.

* Ref: Island Farms Chocolate Milk - http://islandfarms.com/product/chocolate-milk/
** Island Farm Whipping Cream - http://islandfarms.com/product/whipping-cream-33-percent/