Dessert cheese? My Cheesecake Cheese

[DoctorCheese]

I got to thinking how tasty dried cranberries, sugar coated nuts, and honey can be with cheeses on a cheese platter, which in turn lead to me creating this dessert inspired cheese. It is a slightly washed curd cheese that I custom tailored to try and get a sweet, buttery cheese with a bit of a cream cheese vibe. I tried to infuse the curds with vanilla, but after tasting the cheese fresh out of the press the vanilla was completely absent.

The outside is rubbed with cinnamon and I added about 1/16th tsp of vanilla extract on the open side of each vacuum packed cheese in the hopes that they will absorb the flavor in a sort of sous vied manner.

When I tasted the cheese it tasted a bit like fresh lactic set cheese before any aging, so I am optimistic. I plan to age this cheese for maybe a month (or until I get a sweet tooth!)

[5ittingduck]

Interesting.  I wonder if the cinnamon will be bitter against the lactic cheese, and would mixing sugar with it like a donut dusting give a better result?
Adding Allspice (pimento) and ginger would give the Christmas spice effect if the cheese is sweet enough to balance the spice.
Vanilla extract might work in the pack, but I would have suggested using a split bean in your milk after scraping in the seeds.  They would have given the cheese a slight dusting of little speckles, and the flavour from the seeds would have been a lot more persistent.
I have experiments in the fridge with Honey and Ginger, Coffee crust, Chocolate crust, Sweet Chilli, Balsamic Vinegar and a few more I have forgotten.  This was basically to see which flavours would persist and penetrate in the bag, and which complimented the cheeses (mainly Gouda based).  We should pool resources 

[DoctorCheese]

would mixing sugar with it like a donut dusting give a better result?

I wasn't sure what effect sugar would have on the bacterial growth or other unknown variables, but I plan to put either honey or sugar on the final product.

Adding Allspice (pimento) and ginger would give the Christmas spice effect if the cheese is sweet enough to balance the spice.

I thought doing a Christmas themed cheese would be fun to do using the ingredients you mentioned. Maybe after I see how the cinnamon does.

Vanilla extract might work in the pack, but I would have suggested using a split bean in your milk after scraping in the seeds.  They would have given the cheese a slight dusting of little speckles, and the flavour from the seeds would have been a lot more persistent.

I also wanted to use the actual vanilla bean in this make, but I went to the grocery store and it was $8 for one little bean! That is some highway robbery crap right there. For sure, the bean would produce superior results though.

I have experiments in the fridge with Honey and Ginger, Coffee crust, Chocolate crust, Sweet Chilli, Balsamic Vinegar and a few more I have forgotten.  This was basically to see which flavours would persist and penetrate in the bag, and which complimented the cheeses (mainly Gouda based).  We should pool resources 

Can you post a picture of your fridge and all the cheeses? I know my fridge is getting pretty full right now! I agree we should work together on these flavored cheeses. It seems like a lot of the old school folks in the cheese world are scared of additives, but I think they are fun and tasty!

[5ittingduck]

A photo from from February.
It's so full it's hard to see anything individually, I should tidy them up a bit.
I will see if I can dig out some additive cheeses.....

[5ittingduck]

It was time to tidy up anyway.
Most of these made December 2016 to Feb 2017.
Gouda with Rhagodia Berries (3)
Pickled Onion Cheddar (7)
Bicolour Cheddar (Pickled Onion/Sundried Tomato) (3)
Cheddar with Jalapeno Chutney (1)
Gouda with Basil and Garlic (2)
Gouda with Cumin Seed (2)
Gouda, Cocoa Crust (1)
Gouda with Pickled Jalapenos (2)
Gouda with Cajun Spice rub (1)
Farmhouse Cheddar Native Pepper infusion bicolour (2 in warm storage) (3)
Gouda in Balsamic Soak (1)
Gouda Coffee Crust (1)
Gouda Sweet Chilli (2)
Gouda Ginger and Honey (2)
Gouda Native Pepper berries (2)
Gouda Red wine and Garlic (2)
Farmhouse Cheddar smoke flavour with Green Peppercorns (1)

[awakephd]

I look forward to taste tests from both of you!

[DoctorCheese]

This was always meant to be a young cheese... so I cracked one of the 1/4 wedge vacuum bags open. Funnily, paste actually looks like good cheesecake. The taste is more cream cheese than cake like I would have wanted. It is more acidic than I would like for a dessert cheese. However, considering what a massive failure the actual cheese make process was, this result is quite good. The honey on top really makes this an addictive combo   

[Andrew Marshallsay]

A cheese from me in recognition of your spirit of adventure.