This pie is a beloved Croatian version of cheesecake-like desserts with two layers of pastry surrounding the creamy filling.
By Tamara Novakoviç
Croatian Cheese Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
Description
This pie is a beloved Croatian version of cheesecake-like desserts with two layers of pastry surrounding the creamy filling.
Ingredients
Scale
For the dough
- 10.5 oz (300 g) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 7 oz (200 g) butter
- 3.5 oz (100 g) sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- pinch of salt
For the filling
- 4 egg whites
- 17.6 oz (500 g) cottage cheese (or cream cheese)
- 6.3 oz (180 g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp semolina
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 3.5 oz (100 g) raisins
Instructions
- Make the dough: combine flour with salt, lemon zest and baking powder. Add butter cubes to it: combine with fingers until the mixture resembles coarsely ground meal. Add other ingredients and knead until the dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge until you prepare the filling.
- For the filling, mix egg whites until stiff peaks form (you can add a pinch of salt). In the end, gradually mix in sugar. Mix cottage cheese with vanilla and combine with egg whites using a wooden spoon or spatula. Add finely grated lemon zest, semolina and raisins.
- Preheat oven to 392 F (200 C). Line rectangle baking pan (dimensions 35 x 25 cm) with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough in half. Roll the first half onto floured surface. Transfer it to the pan, using your rolling pin. Spread the filling evenly on top of it. Roll out the second half of the dough and again using your rolling pin transfer it on top of the filling. Tuck the edges in. Make tiny holes using a fork or toothpick. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into squares. Serve.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Croatian
gorgeous
I was wondering what I could substitute with the semolina in the recipe? It’s kind of hard to find it where I live.
Excellent, flaky dough, taste great. I doubled the dough, used ricotta and added two egg yolks to filling before folding in egg whites. I also substituted flour for semolina.
Will be making this often!
It’s “pressed cottage cheese” (square in plastic wrap) — not the liquidy cottage cheese in hard plastic tub. I use the low fat (o.8% fat) low sodium. Also on the same health conscious theme i lower the 200g butter to 60g and use 70g honey in the pastry rather than sugar; i focus more on a tasty filling than the nice flaky shortbread pastry. But the tastiest substitute is using using natural ground almond extract in the filling rather than vanilla. I bake in bare (no grease and no paper) clear glass.
I love cheese pie, and this one is no exception. Thank you!