Cottage Cheese Custard or Ostakaka

This is the dessert my husband requested for Christmas dinner…a recipe that Myrna and I were raised on, but that he had never eaten until we married.  Obviously, he’s a convert!

I prepare it all year round; whenever cottage cheese or cream, or as this pre-holiday week, both are on sale.  Our grandmother made this fairly often, and Myrna and I both make it still.   She eats it for her supper…it’s also gluten-free and full of protein and calcium.

The cottage cheese must be the 4% fat product; otherwise it may get a little rubbery when baked.  The cottage cheese starts on the bottom of the dishes, and migrates to the top when it is baked, so it's kind of a combination of cheesecake and flan.  We like it best chilled overnight.  It will keep several days covered, in the refrigerator.

Simple to make, delicious, we love it!   In Swedish, it's called Ostakaka or Cheese or Curd Cake, and it's a holiday treat there too, with Lingonberry sauce on top.                      

Cottage Cheese Custard or Ostakaka 

     ½    cup  sugar 

  2        large  eggs 

     ½    cup  Heavy Cream -- or evaporated milk, undiluted or whole milk 

  12      fluid ounces  Cottage Cheese -- full fat - 1/3 cup per dish 

            Cinnamon 

            Nutmeg 

Heat water to very warm (Use about 2-2 1/2 cups hot water for a 8 or 9" square pan); and locate four 6 ounce custard cups while oven is preheating to 350°.

Mix sugar, eggs and cream at low speed with electric hand mixer or egg beater just until well-mixed.  Make sure the sugar is dissolved.   (I use a 2 cup glass measuring cup for a mixing bowl.)

Place 1/3 cup cottage cheese in each custard cup.  (Drain the cheese if it is very runny in the carton.)  Divide egg mixture among cups.   Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bake in four 6-oz. custard cups in 9" cake pan half full of warm water at 350° for 40-45 minutes.  CUSTARD IS DONE AT 180° ON AN INSTANT READ THERMOMETER.  

Let set in pan of hot water 10 minutes on baking rack after removing from oven. 

Remove from pan and let cool to room temperature on baking rack. 

 Serve lukewarm or chill in refrigerator.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

SERVES 4