Philadelphia cream cheese is remarkable both in itself and because it is used to prepare desserts, snacks, rolls and sushi. That alone is worth it! Or, for example, !
The finished product can be purchased in the store. But, firstly, it is not always available, and secondly, its price may not make the most pleasant impression. But why complicate things when Philadelphia cheese can be made at home? All the components that make up homemade cream cheese are quite affordable, and the yield of the finished product is impressive not only in its similarity to the original, but also in its ease of preparation. “Philadelphia” is enough for both dessert and rolls. It would not be superfluous to note here that the higher the fat content of the natural yogurt and sour cream used, the larger the finished product will be.
Cooking time: 5 minutes + 12 hours / Yield: 350 grams
Ingredients
- sour cream 20% fat 200 grams
- natural yogurt 500 ml
- lemon juice 0.5 tsp
- salt 1/3 teaspoon
- piece of gauze
- thick fabric
Preparation
It is best to prepare cheese in the evening so that the product is ready the next morning. Take a deep bowl. Place a colander with a fine sieve on top. We cover its bottom with gauze in three layers.
Place a piece of thick fabric on the gauze. Thanks to it, the cheese will subsequently acquire a smooth structure. Pour in natural yoghurt.
Now add sour cream with a fat content of at least 20%.
Mix all the ingredients so that there are no lumps. It is best to use a whisk or mixer for this.
Add salt and lemon juice. Mix.
Fold the edges of the fabric into the colander so that they completely cover the milk mixture. Cover the top with a saucer and apply pressure. Any heavy container can be used as such, for example a half-liter jar of water.
The process of making Philadelphia cheese has begun. Visually, this becomes noticeable by the serum, which begins to flow to the bottom of the bowl. Place the entire structure in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
After 12 hours, we remove the pressure, separate the saucer, unfold the fabric and see a wonderful sight - ready-made Philadelphia cream cheese!
Philadelphia cheese is completely ready for use, and you can start preparing delicious desserts. The simplest option is to simply spread it on bread or croutons and serve such sandwiches for breakfast.
Soft Philadelphia cheese comes from mysterious France. It is known for its delicate creamy taste, the sophistication of which has earned worldwide respect and veneration. At first it was warmly received by the French, then the British and later the Americans established mass production, which is now carried out by the Kraft Foods company. If the recipe calls for this light and soft cream cheese, but you don’t have it at home, you can replace it with other cream cheeses or make Philadelphia yourself.
What kind of cheese is Philadelphia?
Philadelphia cheese has a creamy taste. Its consistency is dense, but plastic and melting. It can be smoothly spread onto cakes, waffles or a piece of freshly baked bread. It is used to make buttercream. The cheese goes well with fatty fish - salmon or eel - so it is ideal in traditional Japanese rolls. It pairs well with strawberries and cocoa nibs and is a staple ingredient in cheesecakes. Philadelphia cheese is versatile and suitable for sweet or savory dishes, creating unexpected combinations. Philadelphia belongs to the category of gourmet cheeses, which cannot but affect its cost.
What is the composition of the product
It is important to remember that Philadelphia and other cream cheeses are not a dietary product at all. In addition to vitamins K, A, B, E and microelements (calcium, magnesium, iron, fluorine, potassium, selenium), it contains about half the mass of fat. The composition of soft cheese includes premium milk (skimmed and pasteurized), heavy cream and the necessary starter cultures. There are varieties of Philadelphia that are prepared only with cream, without using milk.
The peculiarity of Philadelphia cheese is that, like other cream cheeses, for example, Mascarpone or Boursin, it does not require long ripening.
What is the technology for making soft cheese?
First, the milk goes through a pasteurization process. It consists of the following sequential actions:
- heating;
- homogenization (intensive mechanical mixing);
- cooling;
- reheating with the addition of starter so that the fermentation process occurs - lactic acid fermentation;
- whey separation (after curdling of milk protein, a cheese curd is formed and whey is released);
- giving the remaining cheese mass the desired structure;
- adding the necessary stabilizers and salt.
Before packaging, herbs, garlic, spices or fruits and berries are added to cream cheese. Other soft cheeses differ from Philadelphia in ingredients and preparation technology. For example, when making Mascarpone cream cheese, lactic acid cultures (sourdoughs) are not used, and more salt is added to Boursin.
How can you replace Philadelphia in cheesecakes, cream, sushi?
True Philadelphia is not sold in all stores, and the price of this cheese is quite high, so a logical question arises - what can replace it? There are several options here:
- Mascarpone, although this cheese is in approximately the same price category as Philadelphia;
- budget substitutes - other cream cheeses, Feta, and feta cheese mixed with sour cream in equal proportions.
You can also make your own Philadelphia.
Feta cheese goes great in rolls, sushi and soups, and unsalted cheese goes well in Greek salads and canapés. Many chefs recognize Buko cream cheese as a good substitute for Philadelphia and claim that the difference is completely unnoticeable: it has the same creamy structure, and the shelf life is longer, which allows you to use this cheese not all at once, but in several stages.
In baked goods, instead of Philadelphia, add fatty fine-grained cottage cheese mixed with any other cream cheese or cottage cheese with sour cream or thick cream. This option is not suitable for sushi due to its fat content and thinner consistency than Philadelphia.
Processed cheese is not a good substitute for Philly. They give a completely different taste, they have more salt and they are not as soft and tender. The most you can cook with them is budget rolls.
Philadelphia Substitutes - gallery
Mascarpone cream cheese is used to make cream for cakes. Cremette is a budget substitute for Philadelphia. The creamy structure of Buko makes this cheese an ideal substitute for Philadelphia in rolls.
Boursin cheese has a delicate salty taste Brynza is used instead of Philadelphia in salads Feta is suitable for making rolls and sushi
Video: Philadelphia and its substitutes - other cream cheeses
Mascarpone is an ideal substitute in buttercream
Mascarpone is a successful substitute for Philadelphia when making buttercream for cakes and pastries, cheesecakes, and tiramisu. The taste of the products remains the same soft and delicate. This is a fatty and unsalted buttercream with a soft and plastic consistency. To prepare the cream, various additives are used - sour cream, eggs, chocolate, cream, condensed milk, etc. The classic cream recipe includes cream.
Ingredients for cream:
- Mascarpone cheese - 350–400 g;
- cream - 300–350 g;
- sugar - half a glass;
- vanillin - to taste.
Preparation procedure:
- Beat cream and sugar for 3-5 minutes. To prevent the cream from separating, do not whip longer!
- Divide the cheese into small portions and carefully add the cream into each, stirring slowly with a whisk. The mass should become pliable, uniform and viscous.
Homemade Philadelphia cheese
Homemade Philadelphia is used in cheesecake, sushi, and buttercream recipes. There are several ways to prepare it.
Quick recipe
To prepare the cheese according to this recipe, it only takes half an hour.
Ingredients:
- milk - 1 l;
- salt - 1 tsp;
- sugar - 1 tsp;
- kefir - 0.5 l;
- egg - 1 pc.;
- citric acid - on the tip of a knife.
Preparation:
- put milk on medium heat, add salt and sugar;
- bring the mixture to a boil, then pour in kefir and stir;
- continue heating and stirring until the mass curdles;
- put the resulting cheese in gauze and hang it for half an hour - this will drain off the unnecessary whey;
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and citric acid, combine with the cheese and beat until fluffy.
Video: a quick way to cook Philadelphia at home
Recipe with enzymes and sourdough
A more complex way to prepare Philadelphia at home is to use ready-made starter (Vivo, GoodFood) and enzymes (ExtA, Hobbe Cheese).
Ingredients:
- homemade milk - 3 l;
- sourdough and enzyme - 1 sachet each;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation procedure:
- heat and bring the milk to a boil, then cool to room temperature;
- add one packet of starter and enzyme;
- leave the milk with enzymes for 12 hours;
- pour the resulting mass into gauze and hang for 2–3 hours;
- Place the gauze in a shallow container and place under a press in the refrigerator for 3 hours;
- remove the cheesecloth and salt the finished cheese.
Recipe with sour cream and cottage cheese
This method produces high-calorie and delicate butter cream.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kg of fatty cottage cheese (preferably without a strong specific odor);
- a glass of fat sour cream (25%);
- a glass of cream;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation:
- At maximum mixer speed, beat cottage cheese, cream, sour cream and salt.
- Leave the whipped mixture for 24 hours.
- Place in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Soft cream cheese is ready.
Homemade cream cheese recipe made from yogurt and sour cream
Delicious cream cheese is made from natural yogurt and sour cream. Homemade cream cheese is a great alternative to expensive Philadelphia. In addition, you will know for sure that it is made from natural products.
Philadelphia (Philadelphia) is a cream cheese invented in America in 1872 in the city of Chester by milkman William Lawrence and named after the city famous for its quality food. A distinctive feature of Philadelphia cream cheese is that its preparation does not require ripening or infusion, which at one time made it a revolutionary and cheap product to prepare. William Lawrence, when preparing soft Philadelphia cream cheese, tried to imitate French cheese, because France at that time was the most advanced country in the field of cheese making. Focusing on the best versions of expensive French cheeses, William Lawrence created a cheap and original American product.
A little later, the rights to produce soft Philadelphia cheese were acquired by the Kraft cheese company and its owner James Craft was able to pasteurize it, and it was in this form that Philadelphia cream cheese was used in the first New York Cheesecake - a pie that later gained worldwide fame and became one of the symbols New York. Nowadays Cheesecake is prepared using various ingredients, even finding a replacement for Philadelphia cream cheese, but it is with soft Philadelphia cream cheese that the Cheesecake turns out the most delicious.
Philadelphia cheese is a type of cream cheese with a soft and delicate taste, made from milk and cream. Analogues of Philadelphia cheese among cream cheeses include Mascarpone and Boursin cheese.
Composition of Philadelphia cheese
- fresh pasteurized and skim milk;
- milk fat;
- salt;
- whey protein concentrate;
- cheese cultures;
- preservatives and stabilizers.
Philadelphia cheese making technology
- milk is pasteurized;
- the milk is homogenized;
- the milk is cooled;
- milk is heated;
- Sourdough is added to the milk and a curd of cheese with whey is obtained;
- the whey is separated from the cheese mass;
- Salt, stabilizers, preservatives and flavorings are added to the cheese mass.
The benefits of Philadelphia cheese
Philadelphia soft cream cheese is a dairy product that has most of the beneficial properties of milk, since the natural milk in it is minimally processed. Soft Philadelphia cheese contains vitamins A, B (1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 12), K, PP, E, beta-carotene, choline. Philadelphia cheese is rich in macro- and microelements, including copper, selenium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, sodium, calcium, and potassium.
The benefit of soft Philadelphia cream cheese is that it is very nutritious; a person receives from it most of the substances necessary for the functioning of the body: minerals, vitamins, amino acids, proteins. The result of moderate consumption of Philadelphia cheese will be a general strengthening of the body, strengthening of the immune system, and a surge of strength and energy.
The dangers of Philadelphia cheese
Philadelphia soft cream cheese is still a very fatty product, its calorie content is 253 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. Excessive consumption of it can create additional stress on the body, leading to obesity and all the ensuing consequences. Philadelphia cheese may be contraindicated in people with lactose intolerance and certain kidney diseases that prohibit the consumption of milk.
What can you substitute for Philadelphia cheese?
There are several options for food products such as Philadelphia cheese that can be used to replace it in culinary dishes. As a rule, it is better to replace soft Philadelphia cheese with other creamy cheeses like Mascarpone cheese. But besides this, in some cases, curd cheeses for baking are suitable as a replacement.
You can try mixing one of the cheeses "Almette", "President", "Viola" with cottage cheese in a 1:1 ratio, it should taste something like Philadelphia cheese. You can also try replacing Philadelphia cheese with a mixture of full-fat cottage cheese and heavy cream or sour cream.
You can, of course, try to replace soft creamy Philadelphia cheese with food products of similar taste, but to obtain the original taste of the dishes, it is recommended to follow the recipe strictly and use only Philadelphia cheese if it is specified in the recipe.
Philadelphia cheese is sold in 94 countries, and its popularity is just beginning to gain momentum. The reasons for this are clear: creamy neutral taste, versatility, affordability and natural ingredients. Philadelphia is the main ingredient of a real American cheesecake - a symbol of the so-called “packaged” creative freedom. Not everyone knows that this cheese is used not only in sweet recipes, but also in unexpected dishes and is rightfully worthy of the attention of the culinary community.
First, a little history. In 1872, in Chester, New York, the famous milkman William Lawrence prepared a revolutionary new cheese. Its main difference and advantage over competitors was that its production did not require aging and maturation. This significantly reduced the cost of production and opened up enormous opportunities for selling a new product. The cheese was prepared using cream and full-fat milk. Due to this, the cheese received its delicate fresh taste and high fat content. It must be said that Lawrence was not the only one who tried at that time to achieve something completely different in the matter of cheese making. Many cheese makers of that time wanted to repeat the French neufchatel without torturing themselves with the extremely labor-intensive production of expensive piece cheese. As is usually the case in America, the new product was a successful copy of a more famous and expensive prototype at the time, and its differences, which were initially disadvantages, later turned into advantages.
In 1880, Philadelphia cheese began to be packaged in foil and sold under the company's name. Empire Company. In 1903 the company Phenix Cheese Company of New York acquires this business along with the trademark Philadelphia. Cheese production increases significantly in 1928 with the merger of the Phenix Cheese Company of New York and the Kraft Cheese Company. It is not known what happened to the cheese for 50 years; most likely, the masters polished their skills in preparing a new product. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that in 1912 James Craft figured out how to pasteurize Philadelphia, and thereby obtained the cheese that was used in the first New York Cheesecake(New York cheesecake or cheese pie). At this point, the beginning of the story slows down a bit and continues to move only in the 1930s.
In 1929, Arnold Reuben, owner of the legendary Turf Jewish restaurant at the intersection of 49th Street and Broadway, prepared the first Philadelphia cheesecake. We won’t describe the triumphant ascent of both the restaurant and the dessert to the Olympus of New York cuisine, but let’s just say that of all the cheesecake options (and an incredible amount of them were prepared), the Philadelphia pie turned out to be the most interesting. Surprisingly, no other cheese in this dessert behaves this way. That is, Reuben, having prepared the arch-classical rustic pie, known since the times of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, replaced soft cheese or cottage cheese, as in old recipes, with Philadelphia and went down in history as the creator of one of the most odious desserts in the history of modern cooking.
It’s scary to even write about cheesecake recipes. Now there are several dozen types, of which the most interesting are New York cheesecake, fig cheesecake, lemon, orange, chocolate and Boston marble cheesecake.
We'll tell you how to make a basic (New York) Philadelphia cheesecake.
Ingredients:
200 g shortbread cookies,
600 g Philadelphia cheese,
150 ml heavy cream,
150 g powdered sugar,
3 eggs,
vanilla essence, vanilla or vanillin.
Preparation:
Prepare all ingredients in advance and let the cheese warm up. For baking, a mold with a removable bottom and sliding sides is best suited. Use a shape proportional to the amount of ingredients. Grease the mold with butter and rub the butter with your hands over the inner surface of the mold. Grind the cookies, mix with butter, place in a mold and spread in a thin layer. Bake for about 10 minutes at 160 degrees. Cool. Beat Philadelphia cheese with powdered sugar, cream, eggs and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a mold, which you wrap in several layers of foil. You need to “pack” the bottom especially carefully. After this, move the mold into a large container filled with hot water. Bake at 160 degrees for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door and bake the cheesecake for another hour. After this, remove the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
But this ordinary cheese is famous not only for cheesecake. Philadelphia can be spread on bread and toast, like butter, you can stuff vegetables and baguettes with it, add it to spreads, use it instead of butter for mashing potatoes or vegetables, prepare glazes and creams, creamy sauces for pasta, add to fried eggs, use in baking and in salads, grease pancakes (pancakes) or pancake pie, mix with honey and fruit and get a nutritious paste for breakfast toast, add to risotto, cook fish pates with Philadelphia, and also use wherever you need to add creamy taste.
Philadelphia is very versatile and easy to cook. Typically, this cheese is added as a spice to enhance the flavor or to create a base for brighter ingredients (in desserts or sauces). Philadelphia allows itself to be mixed with a wide variety of products, giving rise to a uniquely large number of combinations.
It is curious that a cheese similar to Philadelphia was invented 30 years earlier in Normandy, but it is not customary to talk about this. In addition, there are many similar cheeses all over the world, much more interesting in taste, but this does not prevent Philadelphia from remaining a unique and unlike any other product. There is evidence that the first cream cheeses were produced in England back in 1583, and in France in 1651. Recipes for cream cheeses were published in England in 1754, but they all called for 
maturation, which held back their mass production on an industrial scale. We must pay tribute to the marketers who were able to present the basic conditions for making any normal cheese as exceptional qualities and elevate them into merits. Indeed, if you look at the composition of packaged cheeses, Philadelphia stands out with the smallest list and natural ingredients. That is, Philadelphia is indeed made from milk and cream, and only a few preservatives may confuse the meticulous esthete.
There are several types of Philadelphia cheese on the market now:
. Soft (fat content 69%),
. Soft light (fat content 12%),
. Soft, very light (fat content 5%),
. Philadelphia Soft cheese with herbs (with celery, garlic and onion),
. Philadelphia Balance with Herbs 12% (with celery),
. Philadelphia Balance with yogurt 13%,
. In large packaging (1.65 kg and 10 kg),
. Portioned (60 pieces, 16.67 g each).
A classic cheese that is suitable for any recipe is considered soft with a fat content of 69%. Cheeses with low fat content can behave unexpectedly when heated or mixed, so they are used with a minimum of operations, for example, to prepare cold fruit desserts.
The most interesting and promising use of Philadelphia cheese can be considered its use in sauces. Mix it with sharp or hard cheeses, add herbs, garlic, cucumber mixture and just a little spices. Creamy sauce is great with pasta (pasta, spaghetti), but can be combined with chicken or fish. Just mix a little Philadelphia with grated Parmesan, cream or milk, add Provençal herbs, lightly salt - and the base sauce is ready. You can add dried mushrooms, grated cucumber or fresh herbs to it.
Philadelphia is endlessly interesting in making creamy soups. Before blending your soup, add a spoonful of Philadelphia and you will get a creamy, creamy soup with a pleasant color and delicate aroma. It's as simple as making a milkshake, to which, by the way, you can also add Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is great for Asian-style soups with chicken or seafood. Simply add Philadelphia cheese to the broth 5 minutes before cooking time and you'll have a white, opaque, creamy soup. You can even add Philadelphia to the finished soup and stir the cheese in a plate like sour cream.
You can make nutritious smoothies with Philadelphia by adding a spoonful of cheese to bananas and apples. You can also make an interesting dessert in transparent bowls - layer Philadelphia, jam, berries and melted chocolate, garnish with cinnamon, sprinkle with nutmeg, keep in the refrigerator for half an hour and serve as a dessert. Many people try to cook tiramisu with Philadelphia, replacing mascarpone with American cheese. A huge number of cheesecakes or butter cakes can be prepared by easily changing the taste of the cheese, just by adding aromatic ingredients, for example, natural strawberries or honey. Philadelphia is also used as cream for cakes. To do this, mix Philadelphia with cream and sugar, beat with a mixer and place on top or between the cake layers.
You can make pizza with Philadelphia. Use it like regular cheese, spreading it over the surface of the pizza. You can go further and make a French cheese pie - quiche. It's almost like cheesecake, only unsweetened. Quiche is made from yeast dough and a filling of mushrooms, meat, fish, cheese and cream. Simply mix the finely chopped Philadelphia filling, add heavy cream and pour the yeast dough into the mold. Using the same principle, you can prepare a simple vegetable casserole. Place the chopped vegetables, mushrooms and bacon pieces in a greased pan, pour the Philadelphia and cream mixture over everything and bake for about an hour at low temperature.
Philadelphia cheese is actively used in the preparation of Californian fish rolls. Once upon a time, the first American rolls, prepared in the wake of the Japanese culinary craze, were prepared on a whim and included ingredients available at that time.
Philadelphia cheese does not like to be dogmatic, which is why there are so many recipes, most of which do not have exact proportions. Just start cooking with this cheese, and you will also have endless new ideas for where else you can use Philadelphia cheese.
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