There is not a single child or adult who has not tried a tasty cottage cheese casserole. In every kindergarten, this tenderest dessert was served for afternoon tea. And now, already being an adult, I want to ponder over and eat that same casserole from my childhood. It will not be easy, you should follow the recipe exactly and rigorously, and the main secret is in temperature.
Correct cottage cheese
When choosing cottage cheese for casseroles, pay attention to the fat content: it depends on how rich and airy the dessert comes out. If you are interested in kindergarten casserole, then take a 9% curd. It was used for many years according to GOST. The higher the fat content of the curd, the denser will be the finished dish. For a delicate, air casserole, use a 5% or 2% product.
Little Tricks
To obtain a delicate casserole structure, you must first grind the cottage cheese. It is better to do this through a small metal strainer. Also suitable for this and blender. The main thing is to make the cottage cheese as small as possible, so the finished dish will become airy.
Another trick is whipped egg whites. The easiest way to beat the whites, letting them pre-stand in the refrigerator for half an hour. Beat up to persistent peaks, otherwise they will make a lot of liquid, and the dish will lose its final appearance. At 1 kilogram of cottage cheese takes 4-5 proteins.
Warning! An easy way to check the readiness of proteins: turn the cup with the mass upside down: if the proteins do not travel or fall, then they are ready.
Another factor affecting the casserole consistency is dry curd. If the store itself was not found, you can dry it yourself. Put the cottage cheese in a sieve or cheesecloth and leave it to dry overnight. You can press down to enhance the effect. So excess moisture will drain, and the finished dish will definitely please you.
If the mixture still remains liquid, you can add a couple of spoons of semolina, starch or flour. The mass should be thick, like sour cream. Before putting it in the form, do not forget to grease the bottom with butter, you can sprinkle the edges with semolina or flour: it will be easier to remove the finished dish.
Cooking Nuances
The main question for each housewife: how much to cook cottage cheese casserole in the oven? At what temperature? All this is quite individual. It affects the power of your oven and liquid curd mass. On average, a casserole is cooked for 20-25 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 degrees (everyone’s ovens are different). After this time, do not rush to remove the dish. Take a match or a toothpick, stick it into the highest place and take it out if nothing has stuck to the stick - the dish is ready.
Every young mistress is serious about the selection of ingredients, afraid to spoil the dish. It's simple: if the cheese is dry and hard, lumpy, mash it well. And if it is soft, you can leave it this way or bind it with a fork for security. Do not forget to use semolina or flour to obtain the desired consistency of the mass.
Also in the casserole, you can add 1 tsp. lemon juice, it will give pomp. It acts as a soda in various baking, but it is better not to add soda to cottage cheese baking. Instead of the expected splendor you get a solid brick. If there is no lemon, use confectionery baking powder.
Classic recipe
Easy and rich dessert suitable for both children and adults on a diet. Cottage cheese casserole, baked with semolina, will cost only 240 kcal per 100 grams. The recipe is very simple:
- We take 600 g of cottage cheese and 250 ml of milk, an egg, 60 g of semolina and 20 g of sugar. Products pull out of the refrigerator for half an hour before cooking.
- We mix everything up.
- Lubricate the form with butter, sprinkle the sides with semolina.
- Pour the resulting mass into the mold, set it in the oven preheated to 200 degrees.
- After 25 minutes, take out the finished dish, let cool.
The dish is cold and ready to serve. You can pour the top with condensed milk, sour cream or jam. Enjoy your meal!
A pinch of fantasy
For an experienced housewife will not be difficult to make changes to the recipe without harming the finished dish. For example, you can remove the eggs and replace the milk with light sour cream. Instead of eggs glue the casserole will be stuffing - fruits, vegetables or nuts. For diabetics, sugar can be replaced with fructose or honey.
It is always pleasant to pamper your relatives with tasty foods, and if it is also useful, then it is doubly pleasant. Please your loved ones and loved ones!
