Requeijão Cremoso (Brazilian cream cheese spread)… Yummmm! Just the thought of it makes my mouth water. If you’ve never given it a taste, you’ve just got to try it. Ah, requeijao!
But first one must put aside any preconceived notions. Requeijão cremoso or Brazilian Cream Cheese Spread is not the same thing as American cream cheese. Both are milk-derived products, mild-flavored, and white in color, but their texture is totally different. That’s right! The Brazilian cream cheese has a consistency similar to that of condensed milk, and is usually sold in Brazil in glass jars or plastic cups. Its mild taste varies from brand to brand, with Catupiry being the most famous brand in Brazil. requeijao
Requeijão cremoso (a rough English approximation might be heck-ay-ZHOWN cray-MOH-zoo where the ZH sound is the sound that “s” makes in the word “measure”) is a versatile product! It can be used as a spread on toast, as an ingredient in pasta dishes such as macarronada, in baked rices (arroz de forno) as a substitute for mornay sauce, in casseroles (escondidinhos) as one of the cheese layers, incorporated into stews (morangas), dolloped and stirred into mashed potatoes to make them creamier, as a filling for pão de queijo, and as a companion for serving along with guava paste (Romeo e Julieta), among other uses.
Well, from now on you won’t have to go to a Brazilian or Middle-Eastern market in order to buy this amazing Brazilian cream cheese spread. You can make it in the convenience of your own home with only 5 ingredients from your pantry and fridge! Requeijao is a …
One must take care not to confuse requeijão cremoso with a different product known as simply requeijão de corte, a cow’s milk-based, artesanal, light yellow food product whose appearance could easily be confused with that of cheese. The latter one is a component in the gastronomy of the Brazilian states of Goiás, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Bahia. requeijao
Brazilians are crazy for it… and I am sure that you will be, too! (Crazy for requeijao).
xx requeijao
How to Make the Best Requeijão Cremoso (Brazilian Cream Cheese Spread)
Ingredients
- 2 liters reduced fat milk plus 1¼ cup warm milk, about 2 qt., 2% milkfat
- 4 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring 2 liters/quarts of milk to a boil over high heat. Then, turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Once curds form, ladle the content of the pan into a strainer placed over a large bowl, wash curds well with running water (to eliminate vinegar sour taste) and press down on the strained curds with a spoon to eliminate any excess liquid. Only curds should be left in the strainer.
- In a blender, blend together curds, butter, salt, cheese, and 1¼ cup of warm milk for about 2 to 3 minutes on high speed or until mixture is very creamy and smooth. NOTE: For a softer consistency, add a bit more milk.
- Carefully pour mixture into sterilized and dried glass jar(s) or container(s) with tight lid(s). Store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before using as a spread for toast.
- NOTE: Both the taste and texture of this homemade Brazilian cream cheese are similar to the one sold under the brand Tirolez.
Recipe Notes
STORAGE: It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 8 days. It can be used in pastas such as macarronada or Brazilian Mac and Cheese, in stews, baked rice (arroz de forno) as a substiture for mornay, in casseroles as one of the layers of cheese, etc.
Requeijao cremoso is quick and delicious…Try requeijao and you will fall in love with it. Requeijao is my favorite homemade cream cheese spread. Ah, requeijao! Requeijao is so good! I love requeijao on toast!
Ana Herring
Oi Denise!
Fiz ontem sua receita. Achei diferente de todas que já tentei e sinceramente a mais parecida. Mas preciso de uma dica: o meu ficou um pouco farinhoso. Você porque? Eu bati por 3 minutos, como indicado, mas tô em duvida se o leite precisava estar mais quente na hora de bater no liquidificador. Tbm adicionei 1/2 copo de queijo cremoso havarti, porque achei que o meu ficou com gosto muito parecido de queijo branco, ou mussarela fresca. A textura no copo, depois de refrigerado eu achei o máximo. Alguma dica? Obrigada pela receita!!!
Denise Browning
Obrigada, Ana! Sim, o leite bem morno ajuda a dissolver os curds quando batidos no liquidificador e evitar essa textura farinhosa que voce falou. Um abraco!!
Dorace Trottier
ai ai ai ai ai! Nossa, que maravilha!! Nunca pensei em encontrar uma receita para requeijão! Vc é um ANJO de pessoa!!!
Denise Browning
Dorace: Espero que voce goste. Faco todas as vezes que nao encontramos requeijao aqui onde moro. Um abraco!!!
Christiane
I am so glad I found this recipe! After reading it, I immediately went to the kitchen to try it out. I am from Nrazil and love requeijao, but it is very expensive where I live (14 dollars a cup!), so I HAD to try this. I followed the recipe (sort of). I had full fat milk, so that is what I used. I also divided it in 2, so it would not be a lot of cheese spread for me and hubby. I ised 4 cups of whole milk, used the vinegar, washed the curds for about 5 minutes under running water and then added the butter (I only had salted butter so that is what I used, but I used less salt than your recipe) and instead of milk I added whipping cream. It came out of the blender ready for my toast. It was smooth and creamy and tasted very similar to store bought ones. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I will make it every week now.
Denise Browning
Hi, Christiane! Thank you so much for your feedback. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Adding whipped cream was genius! I have to try it in mine next time. I use requeijao in pastas, on toasts, and everything else that we use it for in Brazil. It is never wasted. I hope you find more recipes here that you would enjoy. Wishing you a very Happy 2019!
Elisa
Oi, Denise! I am from Minas and miss requeijao a lot. I tried several requeijao recipes but this one is the best. Obrigada!