This recipe is courtesy of Rahel Jaruch, the author of Recettes Familiales ashkénazes, judéo-espagnoles et judéo-italiennes. Here she shares her maternal grandmother Mathilde Klapholz’s (née Francès z”l) family recipe for Sfongato, a salty cheese pie that is often eaten with dairy or parve meals.
Sfongato
(dairy)
Ingredients
2 ¼ cups of fromage blanc
4 eggs
pinch of kosher salt
olive oil
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Put half of the cheese in a bowl.
Step 2
Add one egg and mix to combine.
Step 3
Add another egg and mix.
Step 4
Add the remaining cheese and mix.
Step 5
Continue until all of the eggs have been incorporated into the cheese.
Step 6
Add a small pinch of salt and mix.
Step 7
Take a round Pyrex pie plate or a round springform pan and prepare it by pouring a bit of oil and spreading it to cover the interior surface of the plate/pan.
Step 8
Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top surface.
Step 9
Put into a cold oven and set the temperature to 350F, for 1 hour.
Step 10
After 30 mins, check the color of the cake. It should be very pale at this time.
Step 11
At about 45 minutes there should be some slight coloring.
From this point on watch carefully as it can go from golden brown to burnt easily.
Step 12
Remove from the oven and serve hot or let cool and serve at room temperature.
Taking the above recipe and creating a non-dairy version brings a family classic into today’s dietary world by reducing the fat and increasing the protein considerably.
Sfongato
(Parve)
Ingredients
2 ¼ cups silken tofu
1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 eggs
pinch of kosher salt
olive oil
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Put half of the silken tofu into the bowl of a food processor.
Step 2
Add one egg and pulse to combine.
Step 3
Add another egg and pulse.
Step 4
Add the remaining tofu and process until smooth and creamy in texture.
Step 5
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast and process.
Step 6
Continue until all of the eggs have been incorporated into the tofu.
Step 7
Add a small pinch of salt and process to combine.
Step 8
Take a round Pyrex pie plate or a round springform pan and prepare it by pouring a bit of oil and spreading it to cover the interior surface of the plate/pan.
Step 9
Pour the tofu mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top surface.
Step 10
Put into a cold oven and set the temperature to 350F, for 1 hour.
Step 11
After 30 mins, check the color of the cake. It should be very pale at this time.
Step 12
At about 45 minutes there should be some slight coloring.
From this point on watch carefully as it can go from golden brown to burnt easily.
Step 13
Remove from the oven and serve hot or let cool and serve at room temperature.
