Almond Goat Cheese

By the Gracious Vegan

Creamy, salty, sharp, soft white cheese on crackers or in sandwiches or salads is delicious. There are so many ways to enjoy this goat-cheese-like almond cheese. The preparation is a bit fussy, but all the steps are necessary — I’ve provided ways to speed up the process so it doesn’t have to take overnight, unless you want it to.

Makes one 6-inch round

Place almonds in a medium bowl, and cover with 3 inches cold water. Let soak at least 6 hours. Or pour boiling water over the almonds, cover, and let soak for an hour. Drain soaking liquid, rinse almonds under cold running water.

1 cup whole blanched almonds (I used blanched slivered almond to speed up the soaking)

Purée soaked almonds and the following ingredients in a blender or food processor (I find that the blender works best) until very smooth and creamy. It may take several minutes.

1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic, peeled
3/4 teaspoon salt

The next step is to drain the mixture of liquid. You can do it two ways.

Spoon the almond mixture into a handkerchief (used for kitchen purposes only!) or three layers of cheesecloth. Bring the corners together and twist the fabric around the cheese, forming into a ball and squeezing to help extract moisture. Secure with rubber band or kitchen twine. Place the ball in a colander, with a bowl underneath, and chill for 12 hours or so, then discard excess liquid.

Or you can work more quickly and press the wrapped ball with paper towels; once the paper towels are wet, replace them with new dry paper towels. With this second method, the drying out will take only about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Unwrap cheese (it will be soft), and transfer it to the lined pan. Flatten it to form a 6-inch round about 3/4-inch thick. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until top is slightly firm and very slightly browned. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours.