[Sca-cooks] Almond Milk Cheese Redux

[wheezul at canby.com]

In reading through the list archives I see there was some debate if an
almond milk could be turned to a cheese via rennet.  The Wecker Cookbook
has a recipe for an almond milk cheese that uses rennet.  Did anyone
venture forth with some experimentation, or was the end of the
conversation merely theoretical?  I'm getting ready to try the Wecker
recipe (my transcription and early translation of it follow now)

Mehr von allerhand herzlicher Essen von züger/
Zuvor aber ein Mandelzüger oder käß

Nimb klein gestossene Mandeln und brunenwasser / Mach ein gute
Mandelmilch/ dise henge uber dan fewer / rühr sie biß sie schier wil
anheben zu sieden / so thu ein wenig Lab oder Renne darein / also wolstu
sonst ein käß machen / oder nimb Seidmilchen / hastu die auch nicht / nimb
Wine oder Essig / so vil genug zum gerünnen / oder laß ihn inn ein
siedenden wasser uber nach stehen/ wie due eins hast / laß ih rünnen wie
in käß oder züger/ heb ihn dann vom fewer / stell ihn auff ein ring /
spreng mit der hand Frisch wasser darauff herumb/ decke ihn mit eim
weissen tuch/ wie sonst ein Eyerzüger oder käß: bald heb ihn auch also
auff mit eim löffel / der vil löcher hat / in körblein oder andern formen
/ wann das Mocken wol davon kompt / spreng Rosenwasser und Zucker darauff
/ wann es wol darein schleufft / so kehre es umb in ein saubere blatten /
darin du es fürtragen wilt/ thu ihn wider also / wiltu/ so mach mit
Mandelmilch oder Rosenwasser/ oder sonst / eine gute brüh darüber. Diser
züger wirt schön weiß.

More on all kinds of hearty dishes of "quark"
Of the above but almond-quark or cheese

Take small ground almonds and well-water / make a good almond milk / these
hang over the fire / stir it until it nearly rises to a boil / so add a
bit of rennet (lab) or rennet (renne) therein/ as if you would make a
cheese / or take strained milk [buttermilk I think] / if you don’t have
also / take wine or vinegar / so much as is enough to make it runny / or
leave it standing in simmering water overnight standing / however you have
obtained it / let it drain like a cheese or quark / lift it then from the
fire / place it in a ring / sprinkle it by hand with fresh water theron
all around / cover it with a white cloth / as you do an egg-"quark" or
cheese / soon also lift it with a spoon / that has many holes / into a
basket or other small mold / when the whey has well come forth / sprinkle
rosewater and sugar on the top / when it has well-hardened therein / turn
it onto a clean plate / in which you want to serve it / do to it more as
well / if you want / so make it with almond milk or rose water / or
otherwise / a good brew over the top of it. This "quark" is a nice white.

I have bought some modern quark (I'd never tasted it) and am attempting to
use a buttermilk with the quark culture (one with rennet, one without) and
a milk culture with both rennet and quark culture.   They are all setting
nicely for a kitchen cheese play-date tomorrow.  But I'd like to try this
almond cheese.  I'll try my own almond milk, add rennet and as a security
measure a bit of buttermilk and see what happens.  I'd love to know if
anyone else actually attempted the almond cheese.

Thanks for the attention,

Katherine B