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Cottage Cheese Pie on Shortcrust Pastry
Instructions
Make the shortcrust pastry. Add the cold butter, cut into pieces or grated on a coarse grater, to the flour in a deep bowl. Add salt and knead by hand until smooth – the dough must absorb all the flour. Roll it into a ball and put it in the refrigerator under a towel for 10 minutes. Cold is the key to a short, crumbly texture: the butter must not melt while you mix.
Mix the eggs with the sugar and vanillin. The vanillin gives a delicate aroma – without it the pie tastes "empty".
Gradually add the cottage cheese and stir until smooth. Cottage cheese that is not too wet is best; otherwise, squeeze the excess moisture out of it through cheesecloth before adding it to the filling. This keeps the pie from turning watery and helps it hold its shape when sliced.
There is no need for special equipment – I mash the filling with a fork. Some lumps will remain in any case, but there is no need to get rid of them; they give an interesting texture.
Line the mold with parchment paper or grease the edges with butter. My mold is 26 cm in diameter – if you want a taller pie, use a smaller one. Place the dough in the bottom and spread it across the mold with your fingers, forming sides around the edges.
Add the filling, spreading it evenly across the mold. If you like, you can add berries (fresh or frozen) to enhance the flavour. If the sides have come out high, you can fold them inward.
Put the pie into an oven preheated to 180 °C. The baking time depends on your oven – I go by 25–30 minutes.
Don't rush to take the finished cottage cheese pie out of the mold and slice it straight away. Give it 15–20 minutes to cool and "set" – otherwise it won't hold its shape and will fall apart when you try to lift a slice.Enjoy your tea!
Tips
- 1
USE strictly cold butter from the refrigerator – warm butter will not give a short, crumbly structure and the dough will turn out "rubbery".
- 2
SQUEEZE the cottage cheese in cheesecloth or a sieve (30 minutes) if it is wet – otherwise the filling will "run" and the pie will be soggy inside.
- 3
COOL the pie for 15–20 minutes before slicing – hot, it falls apart; cold, it holds its shape perfectly.
- 4
Before serving, dust with icing sugar or decorate with berries – a simple touch that makes the pie look "festive". A similar trick works for other cottage cheese pies.
FAQ
What can replace vanillin? +
Alternatives: vanilla sugar (1 tsp = 1 g of vanillin; reduce the total sugar by 10 g), vanilla extract (1/2 tsp), lemon zest (1 tsp – gives a fresh citrus aroma), cinnamon (1/2 tsp – a more "Russian" option). Vanillin gives the delicate, signature aroma of patisserie baking. With nothing at all the pie turns "bland" – be sure to add at least something. For a "grown-up" version, add 1 tbsp of cognac or rum to the filling (the alcohol evaporates during baking, leaving the aroma behind).
Which cottage cheese is best? +
The best choice is 5–9% fat, of medium moisture. Cottage cheese that is too dry (fat-free, pressed) gives a "dry" pie, and you will need to add 1–2 tbsp of sour cream. Cottage cheese that is too wet (packed with whey) should be squeezed in cheesecloth first. Granular cottage cheese is not suitable – it cannot be "broken down" with a fork to the right consistency. Homemade or farm cottage cheese is better – it has a natural taste without excess sourness. Shop "soft" cottage cheese (the kind for children) is also good – a soft texture with no effort.
How long does the finished pie keep? +
In the refrigerator in a closed container – 3–4 days. The next day the taste is even better – the cottage cheese filling "matures". Longer than 4 days is not advisable – the cottage cheese loses its freshness. At room temperature – a day at most in a cool place. You can freeze it (up to 2 months), but after thawing the dough becomes a little "drier" – a glaze on top or some jam will make up for it. For "freshness" after storage – before serving, warm a slice for 20 seconds in the microwave or for 5 minutes in the oven at 150 °C.
Can I add a filling of fruit or berries? +
Yes, a great idea. Options: fresh berries 100–150 g (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) – lay them on top of the filling before baking; frozen berries (without thawing) – 150–200 g; dried fruit 50 g (raisins, dried apricots – steep first in boiling water for 10 minutes); fresh fruit (1 chopped apple, pear in pieces). Berries give a natural tartness that balances the sweetness of the cottage cheese. If you use juicy berries, add 1 tsp of starch to the filling so the juice does not "flood" the dough.
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