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A tender farmer-cheese dessert - like in childhood
Fluffy, tender tvorozhnaya zapekanka (farmer-cheese casserole) is a simple dessert for breakfast or with tea. You can use store-bought tvorog or homemade (see the separate card).
Groceries in the U.S. For tvorog, take farmer cheese (Friendship, Lifeway) or well-drained cottage cheese. The cream is heavy cream, and the leavening is baking powder. To dust the dish, use semolina / farina (Cream of Wheat works).
Ingredients
- Farmer cheese (tvorog) - 1 kg (about 2 lb)
- Eggs - 4
- Heavy cream - 150 g (about 2/3 cup)
- Sugar - to taste (about 3-4 tbsp)
- Vanilla - 2 g (1 tsp extract or 1 packet)
- Baking powder - 8 g (about 2 tsp)
- All-purpose flour - about 4 tbsp
- Salt - a pinch
- For the dish: butter and semolina
What to buy in the U.S.
One casserole using 1 kg of farmer cheese. Measure the recipe amount rather than using the whole package. Product names are in English, as on the shelf.
For the recipe
Farmer cheese
Lifeway Plain Unsweetened Farmer Cheese
16 oz / 454 g
- Buy
- 3 tubs of 16 oz (about 1.36 kg total)
- In the recipe
- Measure 1 kg of farmer cheese for the casserole
- In the store
- Refrigerated cottage cheese / specialty cheese
Choose Plain Unsweetened. Drain any loose whey before weighing. Two tubs provide only 907 g.
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Eggs
Great Value Cage-Free Large White Eggs
12 eggs
- Buy
- 1 carton, 12 eggs
- In the recipe
- 4 eggs
- In the store
- Egg refrigerator
Choose eggs marked Large.
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Heavy cream
Great Value Heavy Whipping Cream
16 fl oz / 473 mL
- Buy
- 1 carton, 16 fl oz (473 mL)
- In the recipe
- 150 g, approximately 2/3 cup in the recipe
- In the store
- Dairy aisle, near half-and-half
Look for liquid Heavy Whipping Cream. Ultra-pasteurized cream is suitable for this baked dish.
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Sugar
Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar
4 lb / 1.81 kg
- Buy
- 1 bag, 4 lb (1.81 kg), if you need to restock
- In the recipe
- 3-4 tbsp, to taste
- In the store
- Baking aisle
Regular white granulated sugar.
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Vanilla extract
McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
1 fl oz / 29 mL
- Buy
- 1 bottle, 1 fl oz (29 mL)
- In the recipe
- 1 tsp extract (5 mL)
- In the store
- Baking extracts / spices
Liquid Pure Vanilla Extract is one of the vanilla options listed in the recipe.
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All-purpose flour
Gold Medal All Purpose Flour
5 lb / 2.27 kg
- Buy
- 1 bag, 5 lb (2.27 kg), if you need to restock
- In the recipe
- Approximately 4 tbsp
- In the store
- Baking aisle
Choose All Purpose Flour. The recipe adds baking powder separately.
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Baking powder
Clabber Girl Double Acting Baking Powder
8.1 oz / 230 g
- Buy
- 1 container, 8.1 oz (230 g)
- In the recipe
- 8 g, approximately 2 tsp
- In the store
- Baking aisle
Look for Baking Powder on the label. Double Acting works for this recipe.
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Salt
Morton Iodized Table Salt
26 oz / 737 g
- Buy
- 1 container, 26 oz (737 g), if you need to restock
- In the recipe
- A pinch
- In the store
- Spices / baking aisle
Regular fine table salt.
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Butter for the dish
Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter
4 sticks / 16 oz / 454 g
- Buy
- 1 pack, 4 sticks / 16 oz (454 g)
- In the recipe
- A small amount to grease the baking dish
- In the store
- Dairy aisle, butter
Unsalted butter is for greasing the dish. This recipe does not add butter to the batter.
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Farina for dusting the dish
Cream of Wheat Original 2½ Minute
28 oz / 794 g
- Buy
- 1 box, 28 oz (794 g)
- In the recipe
- A thin coating over the buttered dish
- In the store
- Breakfast / hot cereal aisle
The recipe lists Cream of Wheat as a semolina alternative. Choose Original 2½ Minute and use it dry.
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Or instead
Alternative farmer cheese
Friendship Dairies Farmer Cheese
7.5 oz / 213 g
- Buy
- 5 packs of 7.5 oz (about 1.06 kg total)
- In the recipe
- Measure 1 kg; choose this instead of Lifeway
- In the store
- Refrigerated specialty cheese
The second brand named in the recipe. Availability is regional. This version contains salt, so account for it when adding the pinch.
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For serving, optional
Sour cream
Daisy Pure & Natural Sour Cream
16 oz / 454 g
- Buy
- 1 tub, 16 oz (454 g)
- In the recipe
- A spoonful with each serving
- In the store
- Dairy aisle, near yogurt
Regular full-fat Daisy Pure & Natural. The listed ingredient is cultured cream.
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Berries for serving
Fresh Raspberries
6 oz / 170 g
- Buy
- 1 pack, 6 oz (170 g), optional
- In the recipe
- A few berries with each serving
- In the store
- Produce, berries
Optional serving accompaniment. Target's supplied berry brand may differ from the pictured package.
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Preserves for serving
Smucker's Strawberry Preserves
18 oz / 510 g
- Buy
- 1 jar, 18 oz (510 g), optional
- In the recipe
- A small amount with the finished portion
- In the store
- Jams / peanut butter aisle
Optional serving accompaniment. Neither recipe requires raisins.
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Making the farmer cheese at home: one batch from 1 L of milk gives about 200-250 g, so 1 kg takes roughly 4-5 batches - weigh it.
Neither recipe uses raisins.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
- Combine the tvorog, eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Whisk or mash until smooth and even.
- Add the flour and mix well.
- Add the baking powder and mix the batter thoroughly once more.
- Grease the baking dish with butter and dust it with semolina - this way the zapekanka comes out more easily and gets a golden crust.
- Spread the mixture in the dish and level the top.
- Bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden. The time depends on how deep the zapekanka is.
- Let it cool a little before slicing. Serve with sour cream, jam or berries.
Tips
- Use well-drained tvorog - that way the zapekanka won't be soggy.
- For a more tender texture, you can blend the tvorog.
- Let the zapekanka cool completely - chilled, it holds its shape better when sliced.
Recipe source
This recipe is based on a video by chef Ilya Blagoveshchensky on Instagram. The ingredients are taken from the author's recipe, and the steps are in my own words; thank you to the author for the idea.