CHEESE CAKES: Substituting cottage cheese for cream cheese makes for a lighter cheese cake that does not need any accompaniment to be delicious.

CHEESE CAKE WITH COTTAGE CHEESE:

 

 

 

1 quantity of basic cheese cake crust, see posted recipe

filling:

    1 ½ lb. cottage cheese                                                         

    ¾ cup sugar

    5 eggs, separated                                                     

    grated rind of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. sour cream + 1 tsp. sugar

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out pastry to about ¼-inch thickness to fit an 8-inch spring-form pan. Bake blind for 12 minutes (see recipe). Remove from oven and set aside.

 

Reduce oven to 300 degrees F. Use a hand-held electric beater to beat cottage cheese with sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add lemon zest. 

 

Beat egg whites in another bowl until fairly stiff. Gently fold it into the cheese and egg mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes. Spread sour cream on top and bake for a few minutes more.  Cool on rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.