Quark Dessert in Russian Style

Ingredients

• 1 Organic Orange
• 1 Organic lemon
• 50 g dried mango (unsweetened)
• 2 tbsp sultanas
• 20 g pistachio kernels (about 1 crowded tbsp; unsalted)
• 1 Vanilla bean
• 1 tbsp yogurt butter (room temperature)
• 40 g brown cane sugar (2 tbsp)
• 2 very fresh egg yolks
• 750 g low‑fat quark
• 100 g Sour cream
• 20 g ground almonds (2 tbsp)
• liquid sweetener (to taste)
• 500 g seasonal berries (e.g., strawberries, raspberries)
• 2 Kiwis

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the orange and lemon hot, dry them, and finely grate the peel from both fruits. Cut the orange in half and juice it. (Use the lemon elsewhere.)

2. 2.

   Cut the mango into small pieces and combine with the sultanas in a bowl. Mix in 4 tbsp of orange juice and let sit to absorb flavors.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, finely chop the pistachio kernels. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a small sharp knife.

4. 4.

   Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until creamy. Separate the eggs; add the yolks (reserve the whites for another use) and whisk them together. Add 1 tbsp warm water and continue beating until the sugar is fully dissolved. Gradually fold in the quark, stirring gently to combine.

5. 5.

   Add sour cream, orange zest, lemon zest, pistachios, vanilla seeds, almonds, and the soaked and drained mango pieces with sultanas to the quark mixture. Stir thoroughly and adjust sweetness with liquid sweetener if desired.

6. 6.

   Clean a new ceramic flower pot (1.4 L capacity, 12–14 cm diameter) inside by scrubbing it with clear hot water. Wet a muslin cloth or large fabric napkin with water and lay the pot inside as smoothly as possible. Pour the quark mixture into the pot. Fold the excess cloth over the top of the mixture, press together, and weigh it down with a weight (e.g., an unopened large can).

7. 7.

   Place a cake or drip rack on a sufficiently large shallow dish and set the pot on top. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours (better overnight) so that any liquid drips into the dish.

8. 8.

   Just before serving, wash, clean, and optionally halve or quarter the berries. Set aside about one‑third of them; puree the rest with an immersion blender and strain through a fine sieve. Adjust berry puree sweetness with sweetener if desired.

9. 9.

   Peel the kiwis and dice them small; mix with the reserved berries.

10. 10.

    Open the cloth and pour the quark mixture from the pot onto a plate. Carefully remove the cloth or napkin around it. Arrange the fruit pieces over the quark dessert on the plate and serve with the berry puree.