Hungarian Cottage Cheese Pie

Hungarian Cottage Cheese Pie

Yield: 1 Bake Pan (9x11)

This delicious Hungarian inspired dessert is almost like a baked cheesecake with a thin, biscuit-like crust.

My dad has such fond memories of Grandma Nonay's cottage cheese pie, I just had to give it a try.  Needless to say, dad was an important source of information and a very willing taste tester when I was researching this recipe.  It's not exactly how grandma made it - but very similar.  The only adjustment to this recipe my dad recommended is adding a little less sugar - grandma didn't make hers as sweet and they would often eat it for lunch. Making this recipe was a fun and delicious way to honour our Nonay family's Hungarian heritage!

~ Staci Lesnik

Crust Ingredients:

250g Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

100g Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Egg Yolk

125g Lakeside Farmstead Cultured Butter

50ml Crème Fraiche (see recipe in previous post - prepare 2 days in advance)

Cottage Cheese Filling Ingredients:

500g Lakeside Farmstead Cottage Cheese*

200g Sugar (can add less sugar if preferred)

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Flour

1 tsp Vanilla

2 Egg Yolks**

400ml Crème Fraiche (see recipe in previous post - prepare 2 days in advance)

Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 Cup Golden Raisins (rehydrated in 1 Cup Lakeside Farmstead Buttermilk)

4 Egg Whites**

Method:

First, make the dough for the crust.

1. Sift the dry ingredients for the crust together.
2. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until crumbly like oatmeal.
3. Add the vanilla, egg yolk, and crème fraiche.  Mix together until just combined and holding together, similar to a flaky biscuit dough. Do not over work the dough or it will be tough.
4. Form the dough into 2 round discs, cover both in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Second, make the cottage cheese filling.

1. Warm 1 cup Lakeside Farmstead Buttermilk in a small sauce pot on the stove.  Add the golden raisins and allow to sit for about 30 minutes until they are rehydrated, soft and plump.  Drain before adding to the filling mixture.
2. Press the cottage cheese through a fine sieve for a smoother texture.
   *If you would like a more rustic texture, skip this step.
3. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
   **If you prefer a denser, more cheesecake-like texture skip whipping the egg whites - simply add 3 whole eggs to the mixture in step 4.
4. Mix all the filling ingredients (except the whipped egg whites) together until smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture at the end.
   
5. Line a 9x11 baking pan with parchment paper that hangs over the sides.  This will make it easy to remove the pie from the pan once it is baked and cooled.
6. Roll out one dough disc to fit a 9x11 baking pan and place it in the bottom of the parchment paper lined pan. Pierce with a fork to avoid air bubbles from forming.
7. Pour in the filling and sprinkle with a bit more nutmeg.  You can even try a sprinkle of cinnamon if you like.
8. Roll out the second dough disc and place it on top of the filling to cover the pie.  Pierce with a fork and sprinkle with more nutmeg (try cinnamon too) and sugar.  
9. Bake at 350F until light brown.
10. Cool in the pan then refrigerate until chilled through.
11. Use the handy parchment paper overhanging pieces to remove the cooled pie from the pan and transfer to a cutting board to cut & serve.  
12. Enjoy!