Substituting farmers cheese

Executive Member Joined: Apr 23 2009 Posts: 426

I have lots of recipes that look really good that I want to make for Shavuos, but they call for cream cheese, like cream cheese brownies, rocky road cheesecake, etc. The only cheeses I can get are farmers cheese and cottage cheese or the parve stuff. Can I use farmers cheese instead or am I better off using the parve stuff?

Posted: Mon, May 14 2012, 2:35 pm Post subject: re: Substituting farmers cheese

Can you get plain yogurt? You can make your own soft cheese from it that's like cream cheese.
I wouldn't use farmers or cottage instead of cream cheese.
_________________
Really Awesome Mom!

Executive Member Joined: Apr 23 2009 Posts: 426

no yogurt. I can get milk, hard cheese, cottage and farmers. I guess I can go parve.....

Posted: Mon, May 14 2012, 2:42 pm Post subject: re: Substituting farmers cheese

Maybe we can help you with new recipes that use farmer's cheese. Then maybe you can still go dairy.
What are you looking to make?

Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1038 Location: USA

I sometimes make mine with farmers cheese insteead of the cream chese tat it recommends. it is still good, not quite as creamy and a drop drier tasting, but it is still great, in fact that is what we are having this shavuous - go for it!

Active Poster Joined: Nov 10 2010 Posts: 27

B"H

You can use farmers cheese like ricotta or cottage cheese.
If you would like a recipe for homemade ricotta, please let me know? (it is really easy to make)

Ricotta cheese cake may be a good alternative...here is one recipe (I have more if you would like them)

Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake
1 pound ricotta cheese
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a small springform pan, and tap out excess flour.
Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl, and stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir the sugar and flour together thoroughly into the ricotta. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Blend in the vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. It will sink slightly as it cools. Cover, and chill till serving time.

Active Poster Joined: Nov 10 2010 Posts: 27

B"H
I forgot that I had this recipe...

Farmer Cheese Cheesecake
1 crumb-crust recipe , made with finely ground graham crackers
5 (8-ounce) packages farmer cheese (or cottage cheese), softened
3 3/4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 550�F.
Pur�e farmer cheese (or cottage cheese) with sugar in a food processor until completely smooth. Then beat together cheese, sugar, flour, and zests with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.
Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust (springform pan will be completely full) and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 12 minutes, or until puffed. Reduce temperature to 200�F and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour more.
Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on a rack. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
NOTE:
Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks. Pur�e farmer cheese (or cottage cheese) with sugar in a food processor until completely smooth before combining with flour and zests. After beating in eggs and vanilla, stir heavy cream into batter. (Cottage cheese gives a slightly drier result than cream cheese; farmer cheese is slightly drier still.) A cake made from either cheese is best eaten within 2 days.

Active Poster Joined: Nov 10 2010 Posts: 27

B"H
I just received this in am e-mail from Kosher Scoop...

Aunt Gertrude's Cheesecake
From Kosher Scoop

Dough:
12 oz. butter (3 sticks)
2 cups flour
3 Tbsp sour cream
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp sugar
� tsp salt
Egg Wash:
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp water

Filling:
4 Tbsp sour cream
2 lbs. farmer cheese
3 Tbsp flour
3 egg yolks
10 oz. sugar
5 egg whites
1 Tbsp vanilla sugar

Directions
1. Prepare an 11-inch x 17-inch baking pan by lining it with either parchment paper or foil.
2. Cut the butter into small chunks and mix together with flour. Add remaining ingredients in the order that they are written. Do not overmix. (You can use a mixer, but I prefer to do it by hand.) Cover bowl and chill dough for 2 hours.
3. In a bowl, thoroughly combine sour cream and farmer cheese. Add flour, yolks and sugar, mixing well (again, I prefer to do this by hand).
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and vanilla sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into the filling mixture, combining well. Do not overmix.
5. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Roll 1 piece very thinly on a floured surface and place on bottom of prepared pan (you may have to trim some edges to create an even rectangle).
6. Pour filling over crust. Using a spatula, spread evenly.
7. Roll out second piece of dough and place carefully on top of filling.
8. Brush top dough with egg wash. Preheat oven to 350� F.
9. Bake for 1 hour. After an hour, check to make sure that the bottom layer of dough looks baked. Extend the baking time for another 10 or 20 minutes if necessary. After baking, cool completely before covering.
VARIATION: You can create a lattice instead of plain dough to cover the cheesecake. Using the same dough, cut strips and crisscross over the top of the filling.

Silver Member Joined: Oct 09 2010 Posts: 693

Active Poster Joined: Nov 10 2010 Posts: 27

B"H

Homemade Fresh Ricotta

1/2 gallon milk
2 � tbs + � tsp vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt (more if you want a saltier taste and if you are not going to use it for desserts)

Rinse the inside of the pot you intend to use with cold water (this helps prevent the milk from scorching). Place 1/2 gallon milk in large, heavy non-reactive pot on medium heat. Add salt and stir briefly. Allow milk to heat up slowly, stirring occasionally. Soon you will notice steam start to form above the surface and tiny bubbles appearing on the milk. You want it to reach 180-185 degrees, near scalding temperature, just before it comes to a boil. When it reaches the correct temperature, take the pot off the burner, add the vinegar and stir gently for only one minute. Add salt. You will notice curds forming immediately. Cover with a dry clean dish towel and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for a couple of hours.
When the ricotta has rested for 2 hours or more, take a piece of cheesecloth, dampen it and place it inside a colander. With a slotted spoon, ladle out the ricotta into the prepared colander. Place the colander with ricotta inside of a larger pan so it can drain freely. Let it drain for two hours or so depending on how creamy or dry you want your cheese to be.
Lift the cheesecloth up by the four corners and twist gently. If the liquid runs clear, squeeze a little more. If the liquid runs milky, there is no more need to squeeze. Place in a tight sealed container. Refrigerate. It will keep for up to 7 days.
Notes
For desserts, add � (8 oz.) pint heavy whipping cream along with the milk.