and Labneh

and then I made cheese
Labneh

Well I made Labna (Labneh), it's a type of Middle Eastern cheese which is probably the easiest of all cheeses to make. (If anyone knows of any easier, let me know! I'm always keen to learn more.) I am only just starting to get into cheese making. A friend and I went to a cheese making presentation at our local cooking store and we all got a beginners kit to take home as apart of the price. So far I have made Labna and Feta cheese, although for cheese enthusiasts it's probably better know as a Danish White cheese. It was soft and creamy and amazing. It was very time consuming to make though. I hope to attempt Haloumi next.

Ingredients

• 1kg of Greek yogurt (I have only used full cream, low fat may also work)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Olive oil
• Optional : Herbs/spices (but not too much to over power the cheese)

What you'll need

• Colander (with a base high enough to keep the cheese away from any whey that comes out)
• Cheesecloth
• A sink or deep sided tray
• Twine

1. Tip the salt into the yogurt and stir well. Add any herbs or spices. I used Olive herb because it's in my garden and it's a nice complimentary taste.
2. Place the colander in an empty sink or a deep sided tray.
3. Line the colander with the cheesecloth which has been folder onto itself.
4. Pour the yogurt into the lined colander and bring the sides of the cheesecloth together.
5. Tie the cheesecloth together with the twine so no bugs can get in.
6. Let it sit for a minimum of 6 hours. The longer it sits the thicker it gets.
7. Tip out onto a platter and drizzle with a little olive oil

Serve with crackers, vegetable sticks (cucumber is great for this), olives etc.

Labna

I also got up early and headed off to the shops to make something for afternoon tea with family. I grabbed a cooking magazine off the shelves and flicked though it til I saw something I liked and then went and got the few ingredients that I didn't already have at home. I think i only needed 5 things including the magazine. I have a fairly well stocked pantry, perfect for sudden baking urges.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

The Oatmeal Carmelitas where a huge hit along with the labna. It's just two layers of oatmeal mix with caramel and chocolate in the center. Then drizzled with more chocolate over the top. I have a lot left over. The recipe made a huge tray and there were only 6 people at the afternoon tea. They took some home and the rest (well what remains between now and then) will follow me to work on Monday.

Love, love Elle.