Sweet Cheese

Each year, we follow the custom of our Hungarian ancestors
by preparing sweet cheese for Easter. This traditional,
easy-to-make comestible (which requires no unusual
ingredients) is served with boiled ham, kielbasa (a
delicious smoked sausage), fresh Easter bread, boiled eggs,
and horseradish. It can also be enjoyed — with wheat
crackers — as an appetizing hors d’oeuvre or a
wholesome snack.

What’s Necessary

To make sweet cheese, you will need 1 1/2 quarts of milk, 1
dozen eggs, 4 tablespoons of honey, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of
salt, and a yard of cheesecloth (or a large, porous dish
towel). We sometimes add a handful of golden raisins and/or
dried currants, but such “surprises” are optional.

The first step is to beat the eggs, honey, and salt
together until they’re well blended. When that’s done, heat
up the milk in a large pan, stirring constantly, and
— when it comes to a boil — add the
egg/honey/salt mixture and continue to boil and
stir for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture curdles
(it’ll resemble yellow cottage cheese). At that point,
remove the pan from the heat and mix in dried fruits if
desired.

A Gourmet Globe

Next, fold the cheesecloth in half and then in half again,
to make a four-layered square of material. Place the cloth
in a colander and put the colander in a large bowl or pan.