Easter Cheese Recipes

EASTER CHEESE - HRUDKA

Steps:

• Crack eggs into a large saucepan and beat with a whisk. Whisk in milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cook over medium-low to low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture fully forms curds and the whey separates. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. Using higher heat or failing to stir will result in a big pan of sweet scrambled eggs.
• Drain the mixture into a colander lined with several layers of cheese cloth. Use the cloth to shape into a ball and twist the top to remove excess moisture. Secure with a twist tie. Hang for several hours or overnight. I do it on the spigot of the kitchen sink (which would probably wig out the germ police, but I haven't gotten botulism in 34 years). Of course, you could let it drain initially there and then finish it overnight in the fridge suspended over a deep bowl.

SIRECZ (EASTER CHEESE)

Steps:

• In an electric mixer, beat the eggs until mixed well.
• Transfer the eggs to a double boiler and stir in milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. Use a metal slotted spoon and constantly stir the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.
• When the mixture looks just like cooked scrambled eggs, pour it carefully into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Carefully gather the ends of the cheesecloth in your hands and pull them together until the cheese forms into a ball. Tie the cheesecloth tightly at the top of the ball. Tie the cheesecloth ends over a faucet or to the handle of a kitchen cabinet (place a bowl under to catch the whey dripping down) and let hang for about 3 hours.
• Untie the cleesecloth and wrap the cheesecloth ball in plastic wrap before refrigerating. The cheese will keep for about a week. Slice and serve.

HRUDKA (EASTER CHEESE)

Steps:

• Pour milk into saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Beat eggs slightly and add gradually to milk.
• Cook over low heat for about seven minutes.
• Add salt, pepper, and vanilla, stir continually so mixture will not scorch.
• Pour mixture into a linen towel or cheesecloth, squeeze and tie tightly.
• Hang and let dry for two hours.
• Cover with a wet napkin and place in refrigerator.

EASTER CHEESE MOLD: PASHKA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese or farmer's cheese, sugar, cream cheese, and egg yolks, stirring to mix.
• In batches, process the mixture in a food processor, adding an equal amount of cream to each batch, until completely smooth. Transfer back to the bowl.
• Stir in the ground almonds, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the cheese mixture along with the raisins. Mix thoroughly.
• Line a clean, unused 8-cup flower pot with a double layer of rinsed and squeezed-dry cheesecloth. Spoon the cheese mixture into the lined pan, then fold the ends of the cheesecloth neatly over the top. Place a saucer on the cheesecloth, then a 2-pound weight, such as a can, on the saucer. Put the flower pot in a bowl large enough for the liquid to drain into. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• Empty the bowl. Unmold the pashka onto a serving plate and carefully remove the cheesecloth. Decorate with candied fruit, pressing some of the fruit into the pashka to form the letters XP, which stands for Khristos voskres ("Christ has risen").

EASTER CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• Put all ingredients into the bowl of a mixer, and blend thoroughly. Form into an egg-like chick shape, and refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Before serving, roll the cheese ball in shredded cheese (this will look like feathers). Use a whole almond for the chick's beak, raisins for eyes and slivers of carrot or orange peppers for the feet. Serve with crackers or crudites.
• The results are at once delightful and delicious; don't expect the little guy to last very long.

EASTER WHITE CHEESE, FARMERS CHEESE

Steps:

• Make a cheesecloth bag that's 4 layers thick, and about 12" long by 6 1/2 " wide. The bottom 8" or so should taper to a point.
• Place the cottage cheese into a colander, over a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place a weight on top. Let it drain for 2 - 3 hours.
• Using an electric mixer, mix all the ingredients until they're well blended.
• Place the cheesecloth bag in a large bowl, with the seems facing out. Pack the mixture in the bag, to about 4" from the top of the cheesecloth. Twist the top, and tie it being careful not to get it so tight that you're forcing the cheese out of the pores of the bag.
• Cover a sheet pan with plastic, then place the filled cheese bag on top. Place the bag so that the seem is in the center of the back, and front, it should almost look like a heart. One end of this sheet pan should be elevated to permit the cheese to drain. You can use either a bowl , or 2 coffee cups to do this. Place a bowl underneath the bottom of the cheese, to catch the liquid that will drain out.
• Cover the cheese with another piece of plastic wrap, and set another sheet pan on top. Carefully place a weight on top of the top pan. But, be careful because the cheese is real soft and the top pan will want to slide off once the weight is on it.
• Store in a cool place, or in your refrigerator for 3 days, being sure to check it so that the weight doesn't fall off. My Mom used to let this rest in the basement, because it was nice and cool, and she used a Belgian Brick that we would have to check now and then to insure that it didn't fall off.
• When the cheese has dried out, cut off the cheesecloth bag with scissors, carefully so as not to break up the cheese. The cheese should be real firm to the touch. Place it flat on a platter, and store in your refrigerator until Easter morning.
• If you haven't gotten enough moisture out of the cheese, you will have a cheese that won't stay together.
• You can start this process a full week before Easter.

EASTER EGG CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• Mix together cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and dressing mix in a bowl until well combined.
• Form into a large egg-shaped ball in the center of a serving plate.
• Cut wax paper into strips. Lay them across the cheese ball, leaving spaces every two strips where the cheese is exposed. Sprinkle chopped chives on the exposed cheese, lightly pressing the chives down so they stick to the cheese. Remove the wax paper strips directly below the chives. Cover the newly exposed cheese stripes with bacon bits. Repeat by removing the final set of wax paper strips and adding chopped pecans in the remaining spaces.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

SLOVAK EASTER CHEESE (CIRAK)

Steps:

• Measure milk into a bowl, and set over a saucepan filled half way with simmering water. Heat until warm to the touch, then gradually start cracking eggs into the milk while stirring almost constantly. This will scorch very easily. Continue to stir slowly once all of the eggs are in, until the mixture resembles scrambled eggs.
• Pour into a cheesecloth bag and tie tightly. Hang from the sink faucet or over a bowl and allow to drain for 1 to 2 hours. Place on a cooling rack set over a pan or bowl and set a heavy object on top to press out the liquid. A cool cast iron skillet weighted with heavy cans works well. Press for about 2 hours.
• Carefully remove the weights and cheesecloth bag from the cheese. Refrigerate the cheese for several hours or overnight before slicing and serving.

EASTER EGG CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Combine wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, honey, lemon zest and lemon juice in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 55 min. or until center of cheesecake is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely before removing rim.
• Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hrs.
• Beat whipping cream in medium bowl with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add marshmallow creme; beat until stiff peaks form.
• Spoon marshmallow creme mixture over cheesecake to within 1/2 inch of edge, then use back of spoon to make 3-inch-diameter indentation in center to resemble a bird's nest.
• Sprinkle marshmallow creme mixture with coconut; fill center with chocolate eggs just before serving.

EASTER EGG CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Oil a 20cm deep springform cake tin and line with baking parchment. Tip the digestive biscuits into a food bag or the bowl of a food processor and crush or blitz to a fine crumb. Mix with the melted butter, then press into the base of the prepared cake tin and chill for 30 mins.
• Roughly chop half the chocolate mini eggs. Beat the soft cheese with the icing sugar and vanilla until just combined using an electric whisk. Clean the beaters, then beat the double cream to stiff peaks in a separate bowl. Gently fold the whipped cream into the soft cheese mixture along with the chopped chocolate mini eggs. Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base, then smooth the surface with a palette knife or spatula. Chill overnight.
• The next day, carefully release the cheesecake from the tin (you may need to run a cutlery knife around the edge to loosen it) and top with the remaining whole chocolate mini eggs to decorate.

EASTER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-by-3-inch round cake pan and dust with ground almonds; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, cream, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, and beat until incorporated. Beat in zests and vanilla.
• Pour into prepared pan, and place in a large roasting pan. Transfer to oven rack, and carefully add enough boiling water to the roasting pan to come two-thirds up the side of the cake pan.
• Bake until firm, about 2 hours, adding more boiling water if necessary. Turn off the oven; keep the oven door ajar using a wooden spoon. Let cake cool completely in the oven.
• Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight. Invert onto a plate; serve.