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Hungarian curd cheese squares

These Hungarian curd cheese squares are very popular all over Hungary. They are called Rákóczi túrós (named after the pastry chef who invented them) and can be found in every pastry shop and cafe in Hungary. We also make them often at home as they're not too difficult to do. However, you do need to use proper, dry curd cheese, which can be found in most Polish or Eastern European grocery stores (cottage cheese or ricotta won't work!). This special cheese-cake has three layers - a thin shortcrust pastry, followed by a sweet curd cheese filling, then topped with meringue. The original version had a meringue grid on the top, filled with apricot jam, but modern versions put the jam between the crust & curd cheese or on the top of a thick layer of meringue. I did the latter version this time.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Cuisine: Mid&East European
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the shortcrust pastry:
  • 300 g flour
  • 150 g butter
  • 100 g icing sugar
  • 2 egg yolk
  • 100 ml sour cream
  • 1 pinch of bicarbonate of soda or salt
  • For the filling:
  • 500 g curd cheese
  • 100 g sugar
  • 30 g semolina
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 100 ml sour cream
  • 1 handful of raisins optional
  • zest of 1 lemon optional
  • For the meringue:
  • 4 eggwhites
  • 150 g icing sugar
  • Apricot jam

Method
 

  1. To make the shortcrust pastry, put all ingredients in a bowl and knead until smooth and well combined. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes, if you can, then roll it out to 5-8mm thickness.
  2. Whilst the pastry is resting, set the oven to 200°C. Also, make the filling by mixing the curd cheese, sugar, yolks, semolina, lemon zest & raisins (if used).
  3. Roll the dough out to the size of a large baking tray (about 5 mm thickness) and bake the pastry for about 15 minutes, until light brown.
  4. Take the tray out of the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Spread the cheese mixture evenly all over the pastry and bake for about 20 minutes until it sets.
  5. Meanwhile whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold in the sugar.
  6. Either spread the meringue on top of the cheese filling or pipe grids with it on the top.
  7. Turn down the temperature to 160°C and bake for 5-10 minutes until the top is light brown.
  8. Let it cool and fill the gaps between the grids with apricot jam, or simply drizzle some over the top.
  9. When it's completely cool, cut into squares or slices.