Tag: Yoghurt Cheese

Fruit & Sweet Cheese Cake

  • I tried this recipe from one of my recently bought Polish magazines.
  • I have not make a cake dough with twaróg/yoghurt cheese before.
  • I would only make a small alteration to the amounts in the ingredients next time – a little more sugar with the topping of twaróg/yoghurt cheese which is how I have written this up.
  • It was huge success.

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g plain flour
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • 120g – melted butter – allowed to cool.
  • 3 eggs
  • 125g + 125g twaróg/yoghurt cheese (very well strainned)
  • 1½ – 2 tablespoons of icing sugar
  • 300g of fruit – around 150g of apples – the rest blackberries/raspberries or fruits of the forest (can be frozen – defrosted and dried with kitchen roll).
  • *
  • Sieved icing sugar to serve.

METHOD

  • Grease and line on 3 sides  a 20 x 26cm baking tin.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160ºC.
  • Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  • In another bowl mix lightly whisk together the eggs and 125g of the twaróg/yoghurt cheese
  • Mix the contents of the 2 bowls together.
  • Add the cooled, melted butter and mix to get a soft dough.
  • Press the dough into the tin.
  • *
  • In a bowl mix the other 125g of the twaróg/yoghurt cheese with the icing sugar.
  • *
  • Peel and core the apples
  • Slice them into very thin slices.
  • *
  • Spread the sweetened twaróg/yoghurt cheese over the dough nearly up to the edges.
  • Sprinkle the apple slices over this.
  • Then sprinkle on the black fruit (I used fresh blackberries).
  • (I should have used more – did not have enough).
  • Bake for 55 to 65 minutes .
  • *
  • Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.
  •  

Pierogi – Cheese Savoury

  • Mama made these very often – I loved them.

  • She often made them for Friday, when this was a meatless day.
  • In Poland you may see these savoury cheese ones on a menu  as Pierogi ruskie   – that is  Ruthanian pierogi – from the old word for the Ukraine.
  • My mother would  boil extra potatoes on one day and save some to make these fillings the next.
  • They are super fried up later.

Ingredients – Cheese 1

Method

  • Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water, strain and mash, then leave to cool.
  • Chop the onion finely and fry it till it is soft and golden, allow it to cool.
  • Mix together thoroughly, the potatoes, onions, cheese and egg yolk.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients – Cheese 2

  • When my mother did not have any curd cheese, she used Lancashire cheese, as that was the cheese most readily available to her.
  • Both versions taste good, the secret with this one is to grate the cheese as finely as possible and mix it in well.
  • *
  • 400g floury potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 200g white crumbly cheese such as Lancashire
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Butter & oil to fry the onion
  • Salt & ground black pepper to taste

Method

  • Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water, strain and mash, then leave to cool.
  • Chop the onion finely and fry it till it is soft and golden, allow it to cool.
  • Grate the cheese as finely as possible.
  • Mix together thoroughly, the potatoes, onions, cheese and egg yolk.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make the pierogi in the usual way – instructions are given below.

  • Ingredients – Dough

  • 500g pasta flour or strong flour or plain flour & 2 tablespoons of fine semolina
  • 300ml water
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons oil – sunflower or light olive
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • *
  • Melted butter for serving or chopped onions cooked in butter.

Method – Dough

  • In a jug or bowl mix together the water, oil and the yolks.
  • Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
  • Pour in the liquid from the jug and initially use a knife to mix this into the flour and then use your hands to mix the liquid and flour to get a ball of dough.
  • Turn this out onto a floured board and knead the dough for a few minutes until you have a smooth ball.
  • Cut the dough into quarters.
  • On a floured board roll out a quarter at a time until you have a sheet of thinly rolled dough.
  • Now prepare a large tray and cover it with a clean tea towel and sprinkle this with flour.
  • Have a large surface such as a tray covered with a cotton or linen cloth which has been lightly floured ready  and place the sealed pierogi on this until they are all made, do not let then touch each other.
  • I cut them out using a 7 cm diameter cutter.
  • I have noticed some people make them larger – I will try this out soon.
  • The excess dough can be re-mixed and rolled out again.
  • Around a half tablespoon of filling is put on  each circle and then they are folded over and the edges pinched together to make a good seal.
  • You learn from experience how much filling to put in as too much will make it hard to seal them and if not properly sealed they will burst on boiling. 
  • Do not worry if you have a few mishaps – it still happens to me even with experience – it is hard to salvage one that has gone wrong – just accept that there will be a few that you do not cook.
  • *
  • To cook the pierogi, use a large pan of boiling water to which you have added some salt and a drizzle of oil.
  • Drop the pierogi in one by one and allow them to boil.  I usually do about 6 to 8 at a time (I only do 6 at a time if using frozen ones).
  • As they cook they will float to the surface, let them boil for 2 to 3 minutes, (a bit more if they were frozen*), and
  • Then remove them with a slotted or perforated spoon and put into a colander above a pan for a few seconds to drain and serve.
  • Continue boiling batches in the same water.
  • If you want to make all the pierogi to serve together then you need to get a large shallow dish.*
  • Put in the pierogi and add melted butter.
  • Keep the dish warm in a low oven.
    • *I often open freeze them for later.

Babeczki – with Sweet Cheese

  • You might think these are too much trouble compared with making a normal large circular sernik .
  • But after making  little babeczki, which people liked being able to pick up an individual little cake, I thought I would give them a try.
  • They turned out well  and very good if you want these for a large number of people.
  • The sweet cheese mix does not want to be one that rises too much so I adapted the filling from flat sernik. 

Ingredients

  • Shortcrust pastry – Kruche ciasto – from 250g plain flour
  • This made 24 pastries.
  • 200 – 250g yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  •  2 egg yolks
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 30g ground almonds
  • Fine grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
  • 50g mixed chopped peel 

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to – GM5
  • Butter shallow tart tins.
  • Roll out the pastry very thinly.
  • Cut out circles to fit and line each tart mould.
  • *
  • Filling
  • ¾ fill each tart – leaving room for expansion.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes.
  • Leave to cool a little before removing them from the tins.

Tea plate by Crown Staffordshire

Flat Sernik

  • Today is the 7th anniversary of my first post on this blog! 
  • This is my 490th post.
  • I have enjoyed doing this so much.
  • I still have lots of recipes old and new to try out.
  • My friends and relative keep giving me ideas and recipes – long may that continue.
  • This recipe is a cross between old and new.
  • I found this recipe in an old book and adapted it slightly.
  • It is a good recipe for when you do not have a large quantity of  cheese.
  • The sernik – baked cheese cake, is made in a rectangular baking tray.
  • It is really a placek – flat cake.
  • Shortcrust pastry – kruche ciasto – is used as a base.
  • Best to use a rich buttery shortcrust

Ingredients

  • Shortcrust  pastry  made from around 250 -300g flour
  • *
  • 300g -350g yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 90g granulated sugar
  • 30g ground almonds
  • Fine grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 50g sultanas
  • 50g mixed chopped peel

Method

  • Make enough pastry for a 18 x 28cm baking tray.
  • Pre-heat oven to GM6 – 200°C
  • Grease the baking tray.
  • Roll out the pastry thinly to cover the base of the tin and raise up the sides.
  • Crimp the sides to form an even pattern.
  • Prick the surface with a fork.
  • Cover the base with foil and baking beans.
  • Bake for 10 – 15 minutes.
  • Remove the beans and foil and bake again for 8-9minutes.
  • Leave to go cold completely.
  • *
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
  • *
  • Mix all cheese, yolks, sugar, almonds and lemon zest together.
  • Stir in the sultanas and peel.
  • Spread the filling over the pastry to fill the “hollow”.
  • Bake for 50 – 55 minutes.
  • Turn off the oven.
  • Leave in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
  • *
  • Cut into rectangles to serve.

Served on Crown Staffordshire Tea Plate – Design not known.

Optional but not tried – orange zest rather than lemon zest.

Tuna Spread

  • There are many recipes in my Polish cookery books for a variety of spreads using cooked meat or fish.
  • In Polish this would be called pasta – a paste or a spread.
  • This is based on my salmon spread recipe, which was given to me by my late cousin who lived near Durham.

Ingredients

  • Tin of tuna in brine, spring water or oil
  • 200g of cream cheese or yoghurt cheese
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Grated rind of half a lemon
  • *
  • A little soured cream- optional
  • Salt and pepper
  • Pinch of sugar – optional

Method

  • Drain the tuna from the liquid in the tin.
  • Remove the skin and any bones.
  • Mash the tuna up with a fork.
  • Add the cheese and the lemon juice.
  • Mix it all together to a smooth paste.
  • Add some soured cream to make a softer spread.
  • Season to taste.
  • *
  • Put into a bowl to serve or into individual little pots.
  • *
  • Serve with bread, toast or crackers and green salad.
  • Or use as a dip with crudities.

Breaded Aubergines

  • I went to my favourite restaurant in the area, which is very near to where I live.
  • It is called Healds Hall .
  • They had a new starter on the menu, which was delicious.
  • I decided to recreate this at home.
  • I used Polish honey from the Mazurian Lakes, which was delicious.
  • The Polish word for aubergine is bakłażan and it comes from the Persian – badigan. 
  • Americans call aubergines – egg plant.

Ingredients

  • 1 Aubergine
  • Plain flour
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dried breadcrumbs
  • *
  • Sunflower oil to fry
  • *
  • To serve
  • *
  • Runny honey
  • Yoghurt cheese or cream cheese

Method

  • Slice the aubergine into 1 – 1.5cm circles.
  • Sprinkle them with salt and put them into a colander over a bowl.
  • Leave for around 30 minutes.
  • Dry the slices with kitchen roll.
  • Sprinkle with a little pepper.
  • Have ready dishes of flour, beaten egg and dried breadcrumbs.
  • Dip each slice of aubergine first into the flour, then the beaten egg and lastly the dried breadcrumbs.
  • In a frying pan heat up the oil.
  • Fry the slices gently on both sides till golden.
  • Remove from the oil, place onto kitchen roll to remove some of the oil.
  • Serve with yoghurt cheese or cream cheese with runny honey on top.
Vintage Pyrex

Tort Melba – Fat Free Sponge

  • This tort – layer cake – mimics  a pêche melba – peach melba dessert .
  • It is a recipe for a fat free sponge cake, sandwiched with a filling made from yoghurt cheese or cream cheese and puréed tinned peaches plus a thick raspberry sauce.
  • I used an English quick style version of the sponge cake.

Ingredients -Fat Free sponge

  • 4 eggs
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 150g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder

Method – Fat Free sponge

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C
  • Grease and line the base of  two 18cm diameter baking tins.
  • In a bowl whisk the eggs and caster sugar until they are pale and creamy.
  • Sift the flour and the baking powder together.
  • Gently fold in the flour.
  • Pour the mixture into the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Ingredients -Filling

  • Tin of peaches
  • 200g of yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 1-2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Method – Filling

  • Drain the peaches from the juice/syrup.
  • Save the juice.
  • Chop the peaches and then purée them.
  • Mix together the yoghurt cheese and the puréed peaches.
  • Add the sugar – do not make it too sweet.

Ingredients – Raspberry Sauce

  • 100g of raspberry jam
  • 50ml of water

Method – Raspberry Sauce

  • Put the jam and water into a small saucepan.
  • Heat gently and stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Heat until the sauce is thick and smooth.
  • Leave to cool.

Assembling the cake

  • Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate or stand.
  • Prick the cake with a wooden skewer.
  • Sprinkle half the peach juice over the cake.
  • *
  • Spread half the raspberry sauce over the cake.
  • Spread the peach filling on the cake. (You might not need all of it)
  • Drizzle the rest of the raspberry sauce on the filling.
  • *
  • Prick the other cake with a wooden skewer.
  • Place the second cake on top.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the peach juice over the cake.
  • *
  • Dust with icing sugar before serving.
  • Greenway Hostess tea plate by John Russell
    1960 – 1979

Note

  • There is more than enough filling with this size cake.
  • You might try using some to slightly cover the sides of the cake as well.
  • This modern spreading of the icing is called “semi-naked”.

Tort Melba – Meringue

  • A Polish lady that I had not seen for many years came to visit me.
  • We sat in the garden chatting over coffee and cake.
  • She mentioned a cake she had not had for many years – Tort Melba.
  • She told me it was based around Pêche Melba – Peach Melba.
  • However she could not remember the recipe.
  • I said I would look the recipe up and make it for her.
  • *
  • Recipes used peaches, raspberry sauce and instead of vanilla ice cream a vanilla flavoured yoghurt cheese or cream cheese.
  • *
  • I found there are 3 types:
  • *
  • A meringue version –  tort bezowy – recipe below.
  • *
  • Several versions used two rounds of meringue sandwiched together.
  • It is easier to make a nest (Pavlova style) and place the fillings in that.
  • *
  • A sponge cake version –  2 will be posted soon.
  • A layered jelly version – I tried several versions but was not happy with any of the results.

Ingredients – Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of potato flour or cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Method

  • Use the loose base of a baking tin 24cm in diameter.
  • Lightly grease the circle.
  • Cut a 24cm circle of greaseproof and stick it on the metal circle.
  • Place the circle on a large baking tray – one without sides is best.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM1 – 140°C.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
  • Add the sugar and whisk again till stiff.
  • Fold in the potato or corn flour, the vinegar and vanilla essence.
  • Using up to ½ of the mixture cover the circle on the tin.
  • Using the rest of the meringue put spoonfuls around the edge.
  • Bake for 80 minutes.
  • Turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside for 20 minutes.
  • Take out and leave to cool completely before filling.
  • *
  • Place the yoghurt cheese filling in the centre of the meringue nest.
  • Add the chopped peaches.
  • Drizzle the raspberry sauce over the top. 

Ingredient – Filling

  • 200g yoghurt cheese, curd cheese or cream cheese
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of icing sugar
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence
  • *
  • 1 tin of peaches, drained and chopped
  • *
  • Raspberry sauce made with 4 tablespoons of raspberry jam and 1 tablespoon of water – heated together for a few minutes and cooled.

Royal Doulton – Counterpoint tea plates – 1973 – 1987

Twaróg Dessert

  • This dessert is one I make when I do not wish or have time to to make a layered torcik. 
  • The jelly and twaróg mixture is left to set in a bowl and scoops are then put into individual serving dishes.
  • The more twaróg you use the softer will be the mixture.
  • As I do not really like to drink milk using twaróg ensures I get calcium in my diet.
  • The flavours and fruits used here are just an example – use the flavours of jellies that you like as well as the fruit.

Ingredients

  • 1 packet of lemon jelly
  • 250 – 400g of twaróg , yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • Juice and rind of 1 lemon
  • *
  • Toppings
  • Bottled blackcurrants – drained
  • Grated chocolate or chocolate flake

Method

  • Make up 500ml of jelly as per the packet instructions.
  • Add the lemon juice and rind.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Whisk in the twaróg and mix till all  is blended in.
  • Pour into a large bowl.
  • Leave to set in the fridge.
  • Put scoops into individual glasses.
  • Add the toppings.

Salmon Spread

  • There are many recipes in my Polish cookery books for a variety of spreads using cooked meat or fish.
  • In Polish this would be called pasta – a paste or a spread.
  • This recipe was given to me by my late cousin who lived near Durham.

Ingredients

  • Small tin of pink salmon
  • 200g of cream cheese or yoghurt cheese
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • *
  • A little soured cream- optional
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Drain the salmon from the liquid in the tin.
  • Remove the skin and any bones.
  • Mash the salmon up with a fork.
  • Add the cheese and the lemon juice.
  • Mix it all together to a smooth paste.
  • Add some soured cream to make a softer spread.
  • Season to taste.
  • Put into a bowl to serve or into individual little pots.
  • *
  • Serve with bread, toast or crackers and green salad.
  • Or use as a dip with crudities.

 

Served on an oval plate by Johnson Brothers – Snowhite – 1960-1979

Note

You can use some left over poached fresh salmon instead.