The tradition of making cheesecakes goes back centuries and into the very heart of ancient Russia. For a long time, until hard cheeses appeared, the product that we know as cottage cheese, called cheese… The name “curd” is currently only used in the Novgorod region.
Cheesecakes are usually served for breakfast or afternoon tea, generously sprinkled with sour cream, jam, honey or fresh berries, grated with sugar. Along with sweets, cheese cakes with herbs and spicy spices are gaining more and more popularity. The quality of the curd is of prime importance for ideal curd cakes – it should be fresh, greasy and not moist. Of course, excess moisture can be removed by putting the cottage cheese on a sieve and letting the liquid drain, low-fat cottage cheese is also quite suitable, but sour – in no case.
Usually cheesecakes are fried in ghee or a mixture of sunflower and butter, this is a matter of taste and health. The secret is that the butter needs to be thoroughly heated beforehand, but to cook the cheese cakes over medium heat – on a strong one the cheese cakes will burn on the outside and remain moist inside, and on a weak one they will spread and lose their shape. Many housewives fry curd cakes under the lid or, after frying literally a minute on each side, send them to the oven. There are no exact recommendations in this matter, as well as in the recipes for making cheese cakes themselves. Cottage cheese is too different, and flour differs in its ability to swell.
If there is a desire to add fresh berries to the cheesecakes, they must first be rolled in flour, the raisins should be soaked in boiling water (or in cognac) and dried a little, the apples should be fried with sugar in butter, but the banana should be safely sent to the cheesecakes fresh.
Ordinary cheesecakes
Ingredients:
- Cottage cheese – 500 gr.
- Egg – 2 pcs.
- Sugar – 20 gr.
- Semolina – 20 gr.
- Wheat flour – 30 gr.
- Soda – 2 gr.
- Salt – pinch
- Vanilla sugar – 2 gr.
Mix eggs with a fork with sugar, salt and vanilla sugar, mix thoroughly with cottage cheese, add semolina and flour. Knead the dough, it will stick to the fork (spoon, hands), so let it sit for 30 minutes. Form small balls, roll in flour on all sides, flatten the “koloboks” and fry on both sides.
Cheesecakes “fast”
Ingredients:
- Cottage cheese – 200 gr.
- Egg – 1 pcs.
- Sugar – 20 gr.
- Wheat flour – 150 gr.
- Soda / baking powder – 3 gr.
- Salt on the tip of a knife.
Mix sugar, salt and soda into the cottage cheese, add an egg, then flour, knead thoroughly until a dense dough is formed. Pack in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, leave in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, form curd cakes FAST, fry in oil and serve hot.
Cheesecakes with raisins or stuffed
Ingredients:
- Cottage cheese – 500 gr.
- Egg – 2 pcs.
- Sugar – 100 gr.
- Wheat flour – 150 gr.
- Raisins (pitted) – 100 gr.
- Vanilla sugar – 5 gr.
- Salt – 5 gr.
- Soda – 5 gr.
Soak raisins in boiling water, let it brew. Beat eggs lightly with sugar, add cottage cheese, flour and other dry ingredients. Drain the raisins and dry them a little, send them to the curd mass, knead thoroughly. Form cheese cakes with your hands or a tablespoon, roll in flour and fry on both sides until golden brown over medium heat.
Cheesecakes with herbs
Ingredients:
- Cottage cheese – 200 gr.
- Spinach, dill, parsley, green onions, any greens – a bunch
- Egg – 1 pcs.
- Wheat flour – 100 gr.
- Salt – 5 gr.
- Sugar – on the tip of a knife;
- Soda / baking powder – 3 gr.
- Seasonings to taste.
Rinse greens, dry a little and chop finely. Mix cottage cheese with egg, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add greens, stir, then flour. Form small cakes and fry until tender. Serve hot with sour cream or mushroom sauce. A full dinner for a fasting day is ready!
You can add cinnamon or a little nutmeg to any sweet cheese cakes to taste, for beauty – saffron, in unsweetened ones – hard cheese, chili peppers, curry or potatoes, there are a myriad of options. If there is a lot of high-quality cottage cheese and free time available, make cheese cakes according to any recipe and freeze, a hearty breakfast will be ready in a matter of minutes.
And for a snack – the following recipe.
Well, very lazy cheesecakes
Ingredients:
- Curd mass (in packs) – 2 pcs.
- Egg – 2 pcs.
- Pancake flour – 150 gr.
Knead the dough of all the ingredients, let it rest for 10 minutes, stick the cheesecakes and fry them in vegetable oil. A great option for a summer residence, a hike or the sudden arrival of friends to children. Bon Appetit!