Into a large bowl, force the cream cheese through a strainer to eliminate any large curds. Add the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of the orange liqueur remaining ingredients and whisk well to dissolve the sugar.

Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Note that the mixture will not freeze like ice cream, but instead will have a lighter, more slushy consistency. Don't worry, it will set up after some time in the freezer.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the fig preserves with the remaining 3 tablespoons of orange liqueur. When the cream cheese mixture is slushy and somewhat firmed, pour into a large plastic container or metal bowl. Add the fig mixture, and fold to create swirls but not completely incorporate. Cover tightly and place in the freezer at least 2 hours before serving.

In a large enameled saucepan, glass, or plastic bowl, combine milk, buttermilk, and rennet and stir constantly for one minute. Cover the container with plastic wrap or cheesecloth and allow to stand at room temperature (between 70 and 80 degrees F) for 16 to 24 hours. Do not stir again, or you will break the curds. The longer the mixture sits, the firmer the cheese will be.

Carefully ladle the curds into cheese molds lined with cheesecloth. (These could be plastic containers with holes punched in the sides and bottoms if you have no cheese molds.) Place molds inside a baking pan to catch the excess whey that will drain off of the cheeses. Place molds in the refrigerator for at least 6 to 8 hours, longer is fine (cheese will become firmer as more liquid drains). The cheese is now ready to eat and will keep, refrigerated, for at least two weeks.

Yield: 6 containers cream cheese, about 1 1/2 cups each