Nina Witkowski's Recipes
SERNIK (Polish Cheesecake)
This cheesecake is not as rich as many other cheesecakes, but just as delicious.
Yield: 8 servings
Filling:
12 oz dry pressed cottage cheese 375 g
1/2cup granulated sugar 125 mL
1/5 cup butter, softened 50 mL
2 eggs 2
tsp essence of lemon 1 mL *
grated rind of 1 lemon
1-1/4 tsp (half 9 g pkg) vanilla sugar 6 mL
3 tbsp cornstarch 50 mL
2 tbsp orange or pineapple marmalade 30 mL
Crust:
3-1/2cups all-purpose flour 875 mL
1 tsp baking powder 5 mL
1-1/4 tsp (half 9 g pkg) vanilla sugar 6 mL
pinch salt pinch
1 cup butter 250 mL
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 375 mL
2 eggs 2
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp (1 vial) arrack *(optional) 2 mL
1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL
Filling:
Cut cottage cheese into chunks. In grinder or food processor, grind into curds. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, eggs, essence of lemon, lemon rind, vanilla sugar, cornstarch and marmalade until smooth. Beat in cottage cheese.
Crust:
In bowl, stir together 3 cups/750 mL of the flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. In separate bowl, mix together granulated sugar, eggs, lemon rind, arrack (if using) and vanilla; mix into butter mixture. Knead, adding as much
of remaining flour as necessary, until consistency of cookie dough.
Grease and flour a 13- x 9-inch/ 3.5 L metal cake pan; press three-quarters of the dough into bottom and 1 inch/ 2.5 cm up sides of pan. Spread filling over top. Roll remaining dough into eighteen 1/8-inch/ 5 mm thick ropes and arrange in diagonal cross-hatch pattern on top of filling. Bake in 300°F/150°C oven for about 1 hour or until light golden. Let cool completely.
* Look for essence of lemon and arrack in Polish specialty shops.
