This isn’t the official Smearcase post- that’s to come later. (Update: Click here for Official Smearcase Post) This is just a brief post with two recipes from Elizabeth Ellicott Lea’s book. I thought they might offer some insight into the history of smearcase.
Many Baltimoreans know “Smearcase” as a beloved cheesecake of German origin, available at many of the same bakeries that peddle Peach Cakes. Much like Baltimore Peach Cake, Smearcase has enjoyed a fair share of nostalgic press. The word “smearcase,” readers may know, referred originally to the cheese that this cake was made from. That is what the word meant to Elizabeth Ellicott Lea.
I had some milk that had gone a little off so I decided to try and make use of it. Modern cottage cheese advice suggested adding a little acid, in the form of vinegar or lemon juice, to curdle the milk. I opted for that method. Modern milk is pasteurized, and so I was essentially working with a different ingredient than Lea would have been.
By 1845, when Lea’s book was published, the recipe was named “Cheese Cake,” but in truth, cheesecake is more the direct descendent of pudding than any cake. Most early American cookbooks and their English predecessors have recipes for making “curd” or “cheese puddings”.
This recipe was about as close to hearth cooking as it gets in my kitchen, owing to a lack of air-conditioning on a very hot day. The buttercrust had to be worked quickly, and it looks quite “rustic” as a result. It is humbling to think of the ways that experienced hearth cooks of the past would cope with these challenges.
Even with the 19th-century flavors (rose water and currants), the pie was suitable for a modern sweet tooth. The cheesemaking process, however, is a little unappetizing looking, so don’t be surprised if this post makes you want to swear off dairy…
“Cottage Cheese, or Smearcase
The best plan of making this dish, is to set the tinpan of clabber on a hot stove, or in a pot of water that is boiling over the fire. When the whey has risen sufficiently, pour it through a colander, and put the curd or cheese away in a cold place, and just before going to table, season it with salt and pepper to your taste, and pour some sweet cream over it.”
“Cheese Cakes
Take one quart of curd, after the whey has been strained off, mix with it half a pound of fresh butter, an ounce of pounded blanched almonds, the whites of three eggs, a tea-cup of currants; season with sugar and rose water to your taste, and bake in plates with paste.”
Recipes from “Domestic cookery, useful receipts, and hints to young housekeepers” by ELizabeth Ellicott Lea
