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.

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 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:

• 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.

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.

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 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.