Winter Time Key Lime Throwdown

[David Cottrell]

I'm going to do a key lime pie and cheese cake throwdown. Goodweed and SixSix210 put me in mind of it. Winter needs some sunshine!

I'm going to use Goodweed's key lime pie recipe and SixSix210's cheese cake recipe plus one other. Goodweed's and SixSix's recipes can be found on the pancake throwdown thread and the third will be of a Ukrainian style cheese cake (which has a special meaning for me) modified from lemon to lime.

Everyone is welcome to join in - You are your own recipe selectors, cooks, bottle washers and jury along with family and friends!

 

[CharlieD]

David, what's the Ukrainian recipe?

 

[David Cottrell]

Charlie, I'll post it. I found it in a nice cook book (has pictuures - my style "Russian, German & Polish food & cooking" but really covers much more, including Ukrainian. I'll find it and put it into a word document then paste it in. For the copyright police - don't worry, I'll put the instructions in my own words!

 

[David Cottrell]

Ukrainian style Raisin Cheesecake

Inspired by the cookbook “Russian, German & Polish food & cooking”, but with more countries included – such as Ukraine.

The cookbook states that “This Ukrainian dessert is an Eastern specialty.”

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter - cold
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup almonds, very finely chopped (might could be optional but the coarse almond flour really does add to the taste)
2 tablespoons cold water – ice cold
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting

For the filling;

8 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten (separately, each to a bowl)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1&3/4 cup cheese – the cookbook calls for ricotta; other Ukrainian recipes I have seen call for farmer’s cheese.

(I was unable to find any farmer’s cheese in sunny Marion, Ohio so I made my own by straining cottage cheese well, until only slightly damp, and then mashing the cheese through the strainer. I used a strainer, not cheese cloth, colander, etc.)

grated zest and juice of 2 lemons (which will be converted to an appropriate amount of lime zest and juice - amount yet unknown!)
1/2 cup raisins

8 inch tart pan (or spring form pan or a pie pan will even work

I followed the instructions exactly so it’s going to be a bit difficult to change the words and keep the exactness so please stay with me.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Step one – Do the standard pie crust thing by sifting the flour and rubbing in the cold butter to create the look of fine bread crumbs. Incorporate the sugar and almonds. Add the water and gently make into dough. Knead very lightly on a floured board and only for a few seconds – more is not better. Wrap up in your favorite plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step two – Roll out the doughy on the floured surface to a ten inch pastry. Gently cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan with the dough and trim.

Step three – Prick the pastry and gently press an oiled aluminum foil onto the pastry. Bake for six minutes, then for six more minutes with foil off. Let the crust cool.

Lower the oven to 300 degrees F.

Step four – Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla and then beat in one egg. Beat the cheese until soft and mix the other two eggs into the cheese. Incorporate the cheese/eggs mix into the creamed butter mix and blend in the lime juice, lime zest and raisins.

Step five – Fill the crust and bake for about 1&1/2 hours until firm. Leave in the oven, turn it off and leave the oven door ajar and let the cheese cool in the oven.

Slightly dust with confectioners’ sugar when the cheese cake is completely cool.

Raisins are optional – some ask for raisins, some ask for them to be left out. Some ask for more tart with extra citrus juice.

This is what I made – about a dozen if I remember over a couple of weeks. The folks at work decided the cakes were good enough to buy the cakes for $20.00 each to give a Ukrainian exchange student an envelope full of money to buy a prom dress.

To make this many I had to convert to aluminum throwaway pie pans. Some asked for extra tartness, one asked for a non-wheat flour version (crust and filling) which worked out well, and some asked for no raisins. Peace of cake!

If using pie pans you will need to protect the crust edge with foil strips.

CharlieD your comments are welcome!

 

[CharlieD]

I am not really familiar with this particular recipe. The only one I've made in the past with farmers cheese, I make without crust and it is very simple mixture of farmer’s cheese and some eggs and some flour to keep it together. No lime or lemons, yes raisins, I love them bake in a spring form or muffin form, or bread loaf form, I prefer the latest. Very specific to Ukrainian cuisine. I like it. Some of my kids do, and some including wife do not. Sorry can't be of any help.

 

[David Cottrell]

When Recipes Escape!

Googled and found lots of recipes that are slight variations of what I was calling Ukrainian Cheesecake. Also in Marta Pisetska Farley's "Festive Ukrainian Cooking"' there is a similar cheesecake with raisins, she calls Syrnyi pyrih - "cheese pie" I believe.

In Bohdan Zahny's "The Best of Ukrainian Cusine" there is Cheesse Cake with filling much like CharlieD describes for his cake but this one is wrapped and baked in yeast pastry which also seems to be a standard.

No argument here Charlie - kinda reminds me of borshch and its variations, but maybe not so many for Ukrainian Cheese Cake, or pie, with or without pastry. I'll have to try yours outside the throwdown which is not set!

No big deal, our new Italian friend just taught me that her "spaghetti" sauce would in no way be used with spaghetti there. Ok, I'll respect that! Talk about a novice cook here!

 

[GotGarlic]

Everyone is welcome to join in - You are your own recipe selectors, cooks, bottle washers and jury along with family and friends!

I'll try to remember to join in this summer I have a great recipe for almost fat-free, frozen, no-bake Key lime pie that I got from a Key lime juice vendor at a flea market on Big Pine Key years ago. It's really easy, and absolutely delicious, but it's really meant to be refreshing on a hot day, so I'll wait a while.

Looking forward to your results.

 

[David Cottrell]

Forget me Not!

I'll try to remember to join in this summer I have a great recipe for almost fat-free, frozen, no-bake Key lime pie that I got from a Key lime juice vendor at a flea market on Big Pine Key years ago. It's really easy, and absolutely delicious, but it's really meant to be refreshing on a hot day, so I'll wait a while.

Looking forward to your results.

GotGarlic, don't forget!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I wonder what Key-Lime tarts would be like if baked in pre-formed puff-pasty cups (availale in the frozen pastrie section at our local supermarket). I'm gonna have to try it. Sounds like a yummy and easy idea.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[David Cottrell]

I wonder what Key-Lime tarts would be like if baked in pre-formed puff-pasty cups (availale in the frozen pastrie section at our local supermarket). I'm gonna have to try it. Sounds like a yummy and easy idea.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

You will let us know one way or the other won't you?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Why coitainly.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North