Cottage Cheese Pie Recipe

Slice of Cottage Cheese Pie with Whipped Cream photo credit Rebecca Frey

Visit any market house or roadside farmstand in my South Central Pennsylvania hometown, and you'll find yourself surrounded by pies. Rows and rows of pies. Shoofly pie, apple pie, lemon pie, raisin pie, peach pie, and schnitz pie, all freshly baked and wrapped in clear plastic, their thick custards, crumbly toppings, juicy fruit fillings, and golden brown crusts on full display.

I'm always happiest when I spot a cottage cheese pie (sometimes called "cheese pie," "cheese custard pie," or "schmierkase pie") among the offerings. Deep reddish-brown with specks of nutmeg and cinnamon dotting the surface, at first glance this classic Pennsylvania Dutch dessert looks a bit like pumpkin pie. But cut yourself a slice and you'll discover an egg-based custard filling, smooth and creamy and reminiscent of a slice of cheesecake.

Pennsylvania Dutch Roots

Cottage Cheese Pie photo credit Rebecca Frey

Like other regional cuisines, Pennsylvania Dutch cooks frequently incorporate cottage cheese into their recipes. Schmierkase ("smear cheese" in German), is a spreadable, homemade version of cottage cheese, often served with crackers; mixed with chopped fresh chives for a chilled side; or used as a component in other dishes. In As American As Shoofly Pie, culinary historian William Woys Weaver describes Pennsylvania Dutch specialties such as schmierkeeskuche, a "flat, pizzalike pie covered with small-curd cottage cheese, onions, and perhaps also apple butter;" nesselkuche (nettle tart with eggs and cottage cheese); backet (crispy potatoes served with smooth-curd cottage cheese and apple butter); and gnepplin (bean-sized cottage cheese dumplings). 

At one time, Pennsylvania Dutch cooks prepared their cottage cheese pies with homemade cottage cheese. But as Edna Eby Heller notes in her Dutch Cookbook, "Not many Dutch cooks make their own cottage cheese any more. They used to boil thick sour milk until it separated into curds and whey," then "put [it] in a cloth bag and hung [it] on a limb of the tree to drain!"  

These days, most cottage cheese pie recipes skip the tree-draining step (thank goodness!) and start with store-bought cottage cheese, as I've done in the recipe below.

Preparing the Filling

Cottage Cheese Pie ingredients photo credit Rebecca Frey

No two cottage cheese pies follow exactly the same method. Some cooks begin by whipping the egg whites separately, then folding the whipped whites into the batter, while others simply stir everything together and bake. Some use whole curds; others mash the curds by hand. More modern interpretations often employ a blender or food processor.

After delving into my collection of vintage Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks, I tested several common techniques to find the best approach. The verdict? Whip the egg whites (the filling made with whole eggs seemed overly dense, and took significantly longer to bake) and blend the cottage cheese in a food processor for a smooth, visually appealing slice. 

Tip: Use a flexible rubber spatula to fold the whipped egg whites gently, but thoroughly, into the batter, until no clumps remain. Any bits of un-blended egg white will rise to the top and cause the filling to brown unevenly as the pie bakes.

Baking the Pie

Like most Pennsylvania Dutch pie recipes, this cottage cheese pie does not include a blind baking step. Instead, you'll pour the filling directly into an unbaked pie crust and bake for 20 minutes at 425° F before reducing the temperature for the remainder of the bake.  The initial high heat jump-starts the cooking process, producing steam that helps to create a flaky, thoroughly baked crust, while the longer, lower-temperature bake finishes setting the custard. Meanwhile, baking on the lower rack puts the pie closer to the lower heat source, preventing an underbaked bottom crust.

Tip: If the crust or filling begins to look overly brown, shield it with aluminium foil for remainder of the baking time.

Serving Cottage Cheese Pie

Cool cottage cheese pie on a wire rack for at least 1 hour prior to serving. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight for a deeper, tangier flavor.

Note that the texture will change as the pie cools. Served at room temperature, cottage cheese pie has a light, airy consistency. Fully chilled, the filling becomes thick and custard-like, more closely resembling a traditional cheesecake.

Serve slices of cottage cheese pie accompanied by freshly whipped cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon; a drizzle of molasses, or—in true Pennsylvania Dutch fashion—a big spoonful of apple butter.

Cottage Cheese Pie Recipe

Makes one 8-inch round pie

Slice of Cottage Cheese Pie photo credit Rebecca Frey

Ingredients

1 sheet homemade or store-bought pie crust
1 1/2 cups full-fat cottage cheese
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to garnish
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
Ground nutmeg, to garnish

Directions

Line an 8-inch pie pan with pie crust. With a sharp paring knife, trim away excess pastry. Crimp edge with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or until very cold and firm to the touch.

Preheat oven to 425° F (218° C). Adjust oven rack to lower third position.

Freeze lined pie pan while you prepare the filling, about 10 minutes.

In a food processor or high-speed blender, blitz cottage cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds. 

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg whites on high speed until pale and frothy and stiff peaks form, about 40 seconds.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk cottage cheese, egg yolks, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Drizzle in the whole milk and heavy cream and whisk until smooth.

With a flexible rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated, with no visible clumps of egg white remaining.

Pour into lined pie pan. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F (176° C) and bake 35 to 40 minutes more, or until top of pie turns deep reddish-brown and edges appear set but center still jiggles slightly. 

Cool on wire rack 1 hour before serving, or refrigerate overnight for a deeper flavor. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Refrigerate leftover cottage cheese pie for up to 3 days.