Easter Egg 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.

LINDA'S BUTTER CREAM EASTER EGGS

Steps:

• Mix the butter and cream cheese together.
• (I put in the microwave for 30-45 secs. to soften).
• Add the confectionary sugar about 1 cup at a time, along with vanilla, and mix well. (I use my hands).
• Place the mixture in the freezer to chill for at least 20 minutes (You want it firm, but not frozen, so check it from time to time).
• Form the mixture into egg shapes with your hands. (It is helpful to put some confectionary sugar on your hands so the eggs don't stick to them).
• When you are done making the eggs, put them in freezer again for at least 25 minutes.
• Melt the chocolate in a a double boiler.
• Dip the bottom of the egg into the chocolate, then place it on a small flat dish. Take a spoon, and spoon some melted chocolate on top, spreading around with a butter knife. (Make sure you don't get it on too thick, or you won't have enough for the whole batch).
• Arrange the chocolate coated eggs on an aluminum foil paper lined tray.
• When done making eggs, put in the freezer for a few minutes to harden eggs.
• Place each egg in a pastel colored paper cupcake cup.
• Store in the refrigerator, covered with aluminum foil.

HRUTKA (EGG CHEESE)

Steps:

• Beat all ingredients well.
• Pour into a large saucepan and cook very slowly over low heat (stirring often) until it looks kind of like cottage cheese and liquid/curds start to separate.
• Pour the mixture into a round colander or a strainer lined with cheese cloth and form into a ball.
• Hang up over a sink and let drip. Drain for about 3 hours.
• Chill at least 8-10 hours or overnight.
• Can serve cold, room temp or warm.

EASTER EGGS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, margarine, cream cheese and vanilla extract. Divide the batter in half and place each half of the batter in a bowl on its own. Stir peanut butter into one of the bowls and coconut into the second.
• Using your hands, mold the dough into egg-shapes and arrange the forms on cookie sheets. Place the eggs in the freezer until frozen.
• Once the eggs have frozen, melt the chocolate and shortening in the top of a double-boiler. Dip the eggs into the chocolate until coated. Place the eggs on wax paper lined cookie sheets and return to the freezer to harden. After the chocolate has hardened the eggs can be kept in the refrigerator.

PHILADELPHIA EASTER MINI CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Mix graham crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottoms of 18 paper-lined muffin cups.
• Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon over crusts.
• Bake 25 to 30 min. or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 2 hours.
• Top each cheesecake with 1 Tbsp. coconut; shape to resemble bird's nest. Fill with malted milk eggs.

EASTER EGG CHEESE

Steps:

• Make a double thick cheesecloth bag that's rounded and about 4" in diameter.
• Pour milk into large bowl and add eggs, salt, and pepper.
• Beat until foamy.
• Pour into saucepan and cook over LOW heat until it becomes SOFT scrambled eggs. Be careful and keep stirring because it burns easily.
• Pour mixture into cheesecloth, twist the open end, tie, then hang from the inside of a kitchen cabinet, with a bowl underneath. Let it hang drain overnight.
• Carefully remove cheese from bag to avoid breaking and cool in refrigerator. You can make this cheese a few days ahead of Easter, and store it in your refrigerator.

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.

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.

CHEESECAKE-FILLED EASTER EGGS

Steps:

• Carefully separate the Easter egg in half along the seam. (Use a knife dipped into a bowl of hot water to cut through the seam rather than slicing, as it may break the chocolate.)
• Tip the digestive biscuits into a bowl or food bag and bash to crumbs with the end of a rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles damp sand. Spoon this into the Easter egg halves and pack down gently using the back of the spoon. Chill until needed.
• Mix the mascarpone, soft cheese, icing sugar and cocoa together in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the double cream to soft peaks using an electric whisk. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, then carefully spoon the cheesecake filling over the chilled biscuit bases in the Easter eggs. Gently level the surfaces with a palette knife or spatula, then chill for at least 2 hrs or overnight until firm and set. You may be left with extra cheesecake filling, depending on the size of your Easter eggs - this can be spooned into glasses over extra digestive crumbs for another treat.
• Scatter the set cheesecake-filled eggs with mini chocolate eggs or other Easter treats, then drizzle with caramel or melted chocolate to serve.