Ostkaka.. What?? Cheese cake.. Yes, that's right.. Just like someone's grandma

Simply delicious and well worth the try

Everyone technically has a grandparent. Some of us are blessed with a grandparent who spoils them rotten with love and affection, and a plate of cookies here and there. I am sure if I had grown up here in Sweden. My farmer living grandparents would of had this on their kitchen table a few times. Swedish Ostkaka is a comfort food. It's soft creamy texture with a nibble of ground almonds. You sure can feel the love in this dish.
The locals serve this lukewarm with a dollop of heavy cream jam, frozen berries, fresh fruit,syrup or with your favorite poached fruit.
It is as easy as 1-2-3. and this would be a great recipe for someone needing an extra hug today. Please feel free to mix up your choices of soft cheese. If you have availability to quark use that as well. I couldn't get my hands on any at my local store, so I opted for Philadelphia cream cheese and marscapone. All very related in the soft cheese family.

Ingredients:
500 grams of quark or any other fresh soft cheese such as Philadelphia,marscapone
50 grams of almond meal or 50 grams of grated sweet almonds
*NOTE: If you choose to leave the skins on you will have a much more intense almond flavor. Here is a link to how to remove the skins.http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/tipsandtechniques/ss/peel_fry_almond_2.htm
3-4 eggs
50 grams all purpose flour
300 ml full fat milk
100 grams sugar 

soft cheese at it's finest

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 175 degrees C or 340 degrees F

ground almonds. 

2.Mash up your soft cream cheese in a bowl and set aside.

Adding the mashed soft cheese with the egg mixture

3.Grate your almonds or using already prepared almond meal measure out and set aside.

Well mixed and curd like ready to pour and bake

A long pan is perfect for this.

Pour into prepared pan and set in oven to bake

4. In your stand mixer or hand held Add your eggs and sugar and  milk.Mix until all is incorporated and you get an creamy lumpy mix(see above photo.). Add in your flour, ground almonds.Add your soft cheese and blend until you get soft curd like mixture.

Cooled and ready to serve. So good!

Swedish style. Nothing wrong with a little comfort

5. Butter a oven loaf pan that can hold at least 1½ liters or divide into two loaf pans. Pour into your prepared pan/pans and set in the oven and let bake for around one hour. it should be slightly golden brown and a little giggly, but firm to the touch.


It will fall slightly after you remove it from the oven to cool. Let sit to set until warm and serve. Be creative and add whatever toppings you and your guests will enjoy. I could eat this for evening meal. Many Swedes have this in their mid day FIKA which is like a coffee break with some sort of baked goods and good conversation. Please give this a try. I was patiently surprised by how darn delicious this is. Simple yet so delicious on my palate.

* I want to thank my dear friend Doris in Austria, for kindly pointing out I missed a few details. Thank you for being my saving Grace. I hope it is all ok now. Nicole

My first homemade Ricotta

freshly squeezed works best here

I found a new food blog that specializes in Italian  cooking. Who doesn't love pasta and a good sauce? Spinach lasagna with home made ricotta. Oh, the endless possibilities! I stumbled across http://www.theitaliandishblog.com there Elaine,( from Richard Ferretti via Gourmet, via the Italian dish blog )had it all neatly posted how to make your own ricotta. I was excited, and it is ever so cheap to make on  your own. I was off to my local  corner store and picked up some 3 percent whole milk and a lemon. I always have a readily supply of heavy cream available for the goat.

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice

starting to curdle.

Line a large strainer with a layer or two of cheese cloth and place over a large bowl. Slowly bring the milk to a rolling boil in a 6 quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.Add lemon juice. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture curdles, about 2 minutes. Pour into lined strainer and let drain for 1 hour(note: I let it drain for just a few minutes, so it does not become dry). After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta covered.

oh, those wash clothes!

I followed The Italian dish's recipe, but there was one little hick up. It took me 1 hour to get my milk and cream to curdle not two minutes as her recipe quoted.. I was a little perplexed by this and while it was simmering I read a little more on the web. I found that it is ever so much more quickly to make if you add all the ingredients when stated!! I added the cream and the milk but forgot to add the salt until it was boiling. I perhaps didn't let the cream and milk boil long enough before I added the lemon juice. I found I needed to add at least 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to make it finely come to a curd.I kept on raising the heat and lowering the heat and stirring and stirring and finely it was finished. I did not have any cheese cloth but those washing up rags that everybody has in the cupboard worked out perfectly.( see picture you know which ones) I let strain for a few minutes not the one hour most recipes call for and put in the fridge. Let it rest covered in the fridge for at least 2 hours before using. Keeps for two days covered in the fridge.