Historical Food Fortnightly Challenge #13 - Pies

13.  Pies (June 17 - June 30)  Make a pie!  Meat, fruit, sweet or savory; traditional pies, hand pies, standing pies, or galottes - get creative, but make sure it's documented!

Challenge #13 and we are half way through the year!  Amazing!  Time to make a pie...

Still using the Twenty Lessons in Domestic Science by Marian Cole Fisher Copyright 1916 to meet the Challenges for Historical Food Fortnightly 2016.

It's a constant surprise at the simplicity of recipes from this book and also a surprise that there was only a single pie recipe.

The recipe for Kase Kuchen (Cheese Pie) immediately followed the recipe I used for Cottage Cheese (Schmierkase) in the Historical Food Fortnightly Challenge #3 - History Detective.  This is the link to the blog post:

http://aplacesettingintime.blogspot.com/2016_02_01_archive.html

 

Since this pie recipe had a similar name I decided to make a batch of Schmierkase and use it as the ingredient in my Kase Kuchen.  I  researched a bit and found a similar 100 year old recipe in "Recipes from a German Gramdma".  That recipe uses what is called "old-fashioned cottage cheese", but states that a Quark or ricotta will work too.  That recipe included some almonds with a little sugar and cinnamon on top.

 

Knowing from experience that my half-gallon of milk will yield 2 cups of cheese I make the cottage cheese on one day and allow it to completely drain in the refrigerator overnight.

 

Whole milk, vinegar, cheesecloth and strainer.

Milk heated over medium heat to 190 degrees F or just below boiling.  After taking the milk off the heat, 1/4 cup of vinegar is added.  When completely cool, pour into strainer lined with two layers of cheesecloth.

Allow the whey to drain away from the curds.  Put the whey in the refrigerator.  Stand the curds in the cheesecloth in the strainer over a bowl to allow the whey to continue draining.



Now I can begin my Cheese Pie.  Ingredients are simple.

The process is equally simple.

The drained curds.

Sugar and flour.

One egg and 2 yokes, and 2 egg whites in separate bowls.

The juice and grated rind of one lemon.

Three egg yokes and two egg whites beaten.

The cheese curds are smoothed with a spoon.

Sugar and flour mixture added to beaten eggs.

Cheese added.

A smooth cheese pie filling.

Ready to bake.

Baked at 375 degrees F. for 50 minutes and the center is finally set.  The remaining two egg whites are beaten and the meringue is ladled onto the hot pie and the pie popped back into the oven until the meringue is brown, about 10 minutes.

A beautiful Cheese Pie cooling on the counter!

Cooled completely, refrigerated overnight, this cool lemony Cheese Pie is perfect for a summer desert.  The texture is soft and smooth, the taste light and refreshing!

Two thumbs up!

 

Enjoy!

Jeanette