I recently made a batch of labneh, or strained yoghurt cheese, and Joanna suggested I turn it into these flavoured balls.
The labneh was quite easy to make – we spooned our homemade Greek yoghurt into a colander lined with a clean cloth (I think it’s traditional to use muslin) and left it over a bowl for several hours until all the whey had drained off, and the yoghurt had thickened to a consistency similar to cream cheese.
After chilling in the fridge, I rolled spoonfuls of the labneh into balls and coated them in a variety of different spice mixes. It was a messy job – I found it easiest to shape the balls with slightly damp hands and then roll them in generous amounts of the coating mixture scattered on a sheet of parchment paper.
From front to back, the photo above shows the finished balls flavoured with chermoula, za’atar and a dried Italian herb mix. Apparently these will keep for a while in the fridge if covered with olive oil, but we don’t need the extra fat in our diet!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 