Polish Style Cheesecake of My Childhood

Submitted by Nana Lee

"I am of Polish ancestry (both parents were Polish) and this is the recipe I came across recently that seems to be like the cheesecake we had at Easter when I was a child. This uses farmer's cheese or cottage cheese and Splenda. You can use regular sugar as well. The following note is what drew me to this recipe, because the cheesecake I had as a child was very dense and heavy: "NOTE: I found this filling to be heavy and dry, which surprised me as I assumed all the whipped ingredients would lighten it. I was wrong.""

 

• Ready In: 1hr 25mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 20-24

ingredients

• COOKIE DOUGH

• 2 1⁄2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, partially drained (just not dry)

• CHEESECAKE FILLING

• 750 g farmer cheese (I used a brand called Friendship found with the cream cheese packages)
• 150 g sugar or 150 g Splenda granular
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 50 50 g cornstarch or 50 g potato flour
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Pan sizes: 9x13 or 11x17-inches, depending on how high you want the cake. (I use 2 disposable foil pans, one inside the other. To remove from the pan after baking, I loosen the sides then cut the pan and peel it away).
3. OR you can line the foil pans with foil [;), and lift it out to cut.

4. COOKIE DOUGH:

5. Mix flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and margarine.
6. Work as for pie dough.
7. Then add beaten eggs and milk.
8. Pat in pan which has been greased on bottom and sides.
9. Cover dough with pineapple.

10. CHEESECAKE FILLING:

11. Cream the cheese with the sugar until very smooth.
12. Add lemon juice, salt and potato starch.
13. Add eggs yolks and beat slightly.
14. Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.
15. Fold into the cheese mixture.
16. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into cheese mixture.
17. Pour cheese over pineapple.

18. TO BAKE:

19. Bake for about one hour.
20. Test with knife in center to see if done.