Inspired by nostalgia for traditional Russian breakfasts.

What did you eat for breakfast as a child? I frequently had either kasha (oats, rice, millet or semolina boiled in milk), which I hated, or cottage cheese with sugar and sour cream, which I loved. Breakfasts in Russia were and still are considered an important meal. Eating lots for breakfast has been always strongly encouraged ( meaning heavily insisted) by a caring mother.

Having strong love/hate feelings for breakfasts as a child and going “wild” as a teenager (sandwiches with kielbasa for breakfast oh yeah!) I eventually have returned to the roots. I make kashas. I prepare cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is still my favorite. A great thing about the cottage cheese is that so much can be done with it. One of the recipes I’d like to share with you is a cottage cheese cheesecake which, in my Eastern European opinion, can equally be eaten for breakfast, brunch and a dessert after dinner.

This recipe is similar to a classic baked cheesecake recipe. It has a crumbly crust, lot’s of cheese and some additional flavor.  The cottage cheesecake has a more grainy texture than a classic cheesecake does, less fat and no flour in the crust. The crust is a mix of crushed almonds, butter and sugar. No graham crackers or any cookies are involved.

The recipe is perfect for 6-8 servings.

Ingredients

For the crust

Almonds, raw - 1 cup 
Butter, unsalted - 50 g (1.8 oz)
Sugar - 1/3 cup

 For the cheesecake

Pressed cottage cheese, low fat - 500 g (17.6 oz)
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter, unsalted - 50 g
Eggs, large - 3
Lemon, juice - 3 tablespoons
Rice four - 1 tablespoon
Candied orange peels - 1/2 cup

For candied oranges

Orange - 1 or more
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups

Instructions

Step 1. Make candied orange peels.

I prepare candied orange peels over a few days. This is the laziest version ever. Instead of boiling the orange peels in ten waters over a couple of hours that an express method suggests and which might work for you as well, I accumulate orange peels over a few days and keep them soaked in the water. I change water once a day. Then I boil the peels  in a sweet syrup for 40 minutes and let them dry. For express method check this recipe  or many more others available in internet. Or do it a lazy way.

1. Soak the orange peels in water for 2-3 days. Change the water daily and put a plate over the peels so they are fully in the water.
2. Before cooking, slice the orange peels in stripes.
3. Bring a pot with a sweet syrup (water+ sugar) to boil and put the orange peels in. Let the peels simmer for 40 minutes. (Make a sweet syrup in proportion water:sugar = 2:1. This time I boiled peels of one orange in 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Use more orange peels for a more efficient use of ingredients. Always make sure that sweet syrup covers the orange peels fully.
4. Place the candied peels on a parchment paper and let them dry for a couple of hours.

Step 2. Make the almond base.

1. Crush the almonds in a food processor. Turn almonds into tiny tiny pieces.
2. Mix the crushed almonds with melted butter and sugar.
3. Spread the almond mix evenly in the bottom of a springform pan and press it with a spoon.

Step 3. Make and bake the cottage cheese cheesecake.

1. Process the pressed cottage cheese in a food processor to break the crumbs and reach a smoother texture.
2. Separate egg whites and yolks. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Set the egg whites aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks with sugar until the egg yolks get white. Add melted butter, lemon juice and rice flour. Mix well.
4. Gently incorporate egg whites into the cottage cheese cake batter with a spatula.
5. Add candied orange peels, cut in small squares.
6. Pour the cottage cheese cheesecake batter over the almond crust and bake the cake for 30 minutes on 360 F.
7. Take the cake out and let it cool down at room temperature first. Then let the cake stay in a fridge for a few hours or overnight. The cottage cheese cheesecake might crumble when sliced. The longer the cake stays in a fridge, however, the better it holds the shape when sliced. Remember! Despite a potentially imperfect slice, the taste is awesome. Those candied orange peels add some amazing flavor experience!