Another must-have traditional Czech dessert: today, I am sharing the recipe of míša řezy. If this dessert looks very simple to prepare, its particularity is based on the traditional cheese that is used to make it: tvaroh.
What is míša řezy?
Míša řezy combines textures and flavors in multiple layers. It usually counts:
It is reminiscent of another three-layer cake called bajadera, and which comes from Croatia.
Tvaroh cheese: the secret to a successful míša řezy recipe
Tvaroh is a fat cheese that is usually produced by local farmers. It can easily be found in any grocery store in the Czech Republic. However, it is more difficult to find abroad. I had the chance to find the famous tvaroh in an Austrian grocery store near my home. The tvaroh strongly resembles cottage cheese that is frequently used here in North America. However, it is much denser and more compact than cottage cheese.
In fact, the cottage cheese I find in Montreal does not exceed 4% fat. Tvaroh is actually 40% fat! Do not try to substitute it for another cheese to make míša řezy! I always make two attempts when I try my recipes, and I confess I initially tried the recipe for this dessert with a 4% cottage cheese.
Verdict: it was a disaster! I could not slice the cake neatly. The cheesecake layer was so liquid that all the cream spilled on the sides. So I was eager to get the tvaroh mentioned in the original recipe. However, be careful not to beat the cream (do not blend it in a food processor) as you would make the tvaroh too smooth.
Tvaroh, at the center of traditional Czech recipes
Tvaroh is normally sold in packages of 250 grams. There are several kinds, including tvaroh měkký (soft curd), tvaroh odtučněný (skimmed cheese), tvaroh nízkotučný (sour milk and low fat), tvaroh polotučný (sour milk with 50% fat content), tvaroh tučný (tvaroh with whole milk) and finally the tvaroh tvrdý na strouhání.
Although tvaroh is often compared to cottage cheese, it is very different in its compact consistency.
Tvaroh is obtained by a boiling process of unpasteurized cow or goat curd with kefir. It is the precipitation of milk protein (casein) that produces the granular texture that is the particularity of tvaroh. Its confection takes between 24h and 48h and some even venture to realize it at home just like we did with whole milk and lemon for the Polish cheesecake called sernik.
Tvaroh is used in several Czech pastries including kolache or the traditional bread pudding with cheese, apples and raisins called žemlovka.
Tvaroh is often used as a topping for crepes that are then rolled.
Be aware that if you can not get the authentic tvaroh, you should get a cheese that contains 35% fat minimum. Cream cheese can do the trick, but the taste of the cream and its texture will be a little different.
A grandmother’s claim mentions that a nursing mother who is breastfeeding should put some tvaroh in her bra to protect herself from mastitis (inflammation of the nipple). Well, this would have to be confirmed by doctors… If nostalgia hits you and you miss the fresh air of the streets of Prague, I invite you to check our other recipes of Czech desserts like kolache, bublanina or kremrole!
Enjoy your meal !
This recipe is validated by our culinary expert in Czech cuisine, Kristyna Koutna. You can find Kristyna on her food blog CzechCookbook.com.
Míša Řezy
Ingredients
For the biscuit
- 6 eggs
- 6 tablespoons caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons cocoa powder (100% cocoa)
- 4 tablespoons butter (to grease the mold)
- 1 tablespoon flour (for the mold)
For the cream
- 1 cup butter m slightly softened + 3 tablespoons for the mold
- 1 lb tvaroh (creamy quark, farmer's cheese, or 40% fat cottage cheese), very cold
- ¾ cup caster sugar
For the icing
- 4 oz. dark chocolate (50% cocoa)
- ½ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Biscuit
- Preheat convection oven to 350F/180C.
- Separate the eggs.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff.
- Mix the baking powder and the flour.
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar for 2 minutes. Add the oil and the flour and baking powder mixture.
- Add the cocoa powder while sieving and beat for a few seconds to combine.
- Delicately incorporate the egg whites into the mixture.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a rectangular springform pan (20x16 inches and 2 inches high/50x40x6cm). Dust bottom with flour.
- Pour in the dough and bake for 12 minutes.
- Set aside until completely cooled.
Cream
- Beat the tvaroh (or creamy quark, or 40% fat cottage cheese), butter and sugar until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
- Pour this mixture over the entire surface of the cooled biscuit and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
Icing
- Melt the butter.
- Pour the chocolate into the butter. Gradually add the milk while stirring. Stir until reaching a smooth consistency.
- Pour the frosting on the tvaroh mixture and spread evenly over the entire surface.
- Refrigerate the míša řezy for 6 hours before serving.
- Dip the blade of a large knife in boiling water for a few seconds, wipe it dry, and immediately cut 12 equal slices.
As the founder of pastry food blog Les Trois Madeleines, Sarah-Eden reinvents glamorous desserts with original pastries. She enjoys discovering new blogs, interacting with food bloggers, and of course, she loves madeleines!
Irina says
Did you forget to mention whipped egg whites for the batter? As without them it is too thick, and not clear why should we use eggs, not yolks
Mike Benayoun says
You are absolutely right Irina. That was an omission on our part. We just edited the recipe. Thanks for catching it!
Trystan says
Makes no sense
Sarah says
I seem to be having trouble finding a 20×16 pan. Is there any way to use a different size, or do you know where I could find one of that size?
Mike Benayoun says
Not sure Sarah. But you can definitely adjust the quantities based on the pan size you have.
Bernard says
Would a ricotta or mascarpone cheese work as a substitute?
Mike Benayoun says
Hey Bernard, I know ricotta would work. Try to get rid of most of the moisture with a cheesecloth (or equivalent). Not sure about mascarpone though. Good luck!
Jay says
Hi, just a tip for tvaroh. A good substitude can be found in polish section as curd cheese. I think this is as close as u can get to tvaroh.
Mike Benayoun says
Thanks a lot, Jay!
Martina says
Hi, I love this article, BUT reading “It is used to stuff fruit pancakes or to prepare other desserts such as mléčná rýže, a pastry cream made from rice milk or pudink (pudding) I must say NO, we do not use it to make mléčná rýže (milk rice) nor the pudding. There would be no use of tvaroh in those recipes 🙂 Instead of them, we make lot of spreads with tvaroh base (tvarohová pomazánka), tvarohové knedlíky (boiled dumplings with tvaroh filled with summer fruit- apricots, strawberries etc.), tvarožník (soft cake with thick dough thanks to high percentage of tvaroh inside) and many, many more…
Thank you for your cooking 🙂
Martina, Czech Republic
Kristyna says
Hi Martina. You are right! More we would use tvaroh in filling crepes before rolling them or top pancakes with fruit and tvaroh. And yes definitely it is never used in rice or regular pudding. Thank you for pointing that out.
Kristyna
Mike Benayoun says
Thanks a lot, Martina and Kristyna. I made the necessary corrections to the article based on your comments. Děkuju
Petra says
Hi there,
Czech tvaroh is not high in fat, rather the opposite. The full fat version contains around 8g or 9g of fat per 100g of tvaroh. Semi-skimmed tvaroh has about 4.4g of fat per 100g and low fat tvaroh contains merely 0.5g of fat per 100g of tvaroh.
In Czech tvaroh is frequently used in meal plans for weight loss due to its low fat and high protein content.
In Misa slices pretty much all the fat in the filling comes from the butter added to the tvaroh. There are many versions of this recipe but on average the cream filling ratio is one part butter to two parts tvaroh.
Happy baking!
Diamynd says
Um, does 4% cottage cheese work?
Mike Benayoun says
No Diamynd, as explained in the article.
Lida says
I found the pan size too large for the amount of cheese filling and also the chocolate icing.. I had to double it, in order to achieve the hight of the Cuts, as shown in the picture.
Rozarie says
Tvaroh is not usually 40% ..it goes anywhere from 0 to 30. Tvarhoh is dense in nutrition and definitely not a fatty cheese, more like a protein cheese/yogurt. The closes I found in Canada is Nordic Skyr, but it depends on which brand.
Tereza says
Thank you for the recipe, I felt like making Misa today and this in English language helped a bit, although I have done it my way a bit. I have used coconut and coconut oil for pans, I have used two glass pans as it is easy for me to store in the fridge. I have also used organic raw coco and raw butter and quark with creme fraiche. For the top layer I have used organic raw sugar and organic raw chocolate with raw butter and it all worked well and children loved it. For those of you in England, I buy quark from Waitrose and it works well in all Czech recipes.
Hands Doing Things says
Thanks Tereza!