Cheese as a Dessert

As a dessert, cheese is invariably combined with sugar, so the cheese itself must be mild, usually fresh. At its simplest, fresh cheese may be beaten with sugar and a flavoring such as vanilla to serve with fresh or poached fruits. Whipped cream or egg white may be added for lightness, particularly to commercial cream cheeses that contain stabilizers. Fresh cheese is used in a wide range of regional desserts; it can be molded into hearts and other decorative shapes, as in French coeur à la crème, and Italian cassata Palermitana, a sponge cake filled with ricotta, candied fruits and chocolate, or tiramisu made with fresh Mascarpone layered with ladyfingers and sprinkled with cocoa. Easter in Russia is celebrated with pashka, a tall pyramid of fresh cheese sweetened with sugar and candied orange peel. Cheesecakes and cheese tarts are another world in themselves.