After the debacle with the bought puff pastry, I was a bit nervous about the packet of fillo that was still sitting in my freezer.
I shouldn’t have been, because it was superb – it was easy to handle and it baked to perfection. I’d bought a kilo of Brancourt’s farm style cottage cheese on my last visit to Costco, so I thought I’d try making June’s cheese cake recipe as a strudel…
- 500g European style cottage cheese
- 3 eggs, divided into yolks and whites
- 3 – 4 Tbsp icing sugar mixture
- 150g thick sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Rind of 1/2 lemon
- 1 large Tbsp of semolina
- 1/2 cup sultanas
- 1 – 2 tsp fine breadcrumbs
- 10 sheets of fillo pastry
- 80g unsalted butter, melted
Put the cottage cheese into a large mixing bowl, and break it up with a fork. Add the egg yolks, icing sugar mixture, sour cream and vanilla and mix to combine. Using a potato masher, mash the mix together to create a smooth consistency, then add the lemon rind and semolina. Keep mashing until smooth, then stir in the sultanas.
Beat the eggwhites until stiff, then fold half into the filling with a fork. Once combined, gently fold the other half of the eggwhites into the filling.
Assembly:
Lay a sheet of fillo pastry on the bench, and brush it lightly with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top, and brush it with butter, repeating until you’ve built up a stack of five sheets.
Sprinkle the top sheet with breadcrumbs, then spoon out half the filling into a log shape across the bottom of the pastry stack (working in landscape here rather than portrait). Leave an edge at the bottom and on the sides to allow for folding.
Fold in the sides to encase the filling, then carefully roll up the strudel. Brush the top edge with more butter, then seal the roll closed.
Flip the strudel over so that the seam is on the bottom, then place on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the other sheets and remaining filling. Brush both logs with more melted butter, then bake in a preheated 175C with fan oven for 30 – 40 minutes.
Transfer the baked strudel onto a wire rack to cool, then dust over the top with sifted icing sugar…
This is a delicious alternative to the Hungarian cottage cheese cake that we usually make – the fillo pastry is much lighter than the shortcrust pastry in the original recipe. Pete still prefers the slice, but Big Boy loved this version…
Oh, and I turned the leftover fillo sheets into egg and ham pies!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I really like strudel, but its been a while since I’ve had some. I’ve not had a Hungarian cheese version though, so this has go me interested.
Shaheen, I can’t remember ever making one with fillo pastry before. It was surprisingly simple! :)
Yum! Looks delish, Celia.
Thanks Jaqi! :)
Woww. cottage cheese strudel sounds decadent! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for dropping in! :)
You might give the puff pastry one more try. I use it quite often for quick desserts and crusts for meat pies. I’ve never had much luck with filo dough but I may rethink my strategy. Big hugs, Maz
Maz, I’ll use puff pastry again – often – but I’ll be making my own from now on! :)
It looks authentic! Nicely done!
Ooh thank you! I have no idea what authentic is, but June did tell me I could bake the filling as a strudel, so I hope she’d approve! :)
I’ve never seen European style cottage cheese anywhere around here, but tbh I haven’t had a reason to. I’ll have to look out for it.
I know only the one company makes it here, and it’s quite a unique product. I think a mix of drained ricotta and Philly cheese might work?
I am such a wimp when it comes to filo. I just look at that stuff and it tears! What a lovely alternative to the original recipe :)
I have been too, until now. Might be that this brand is easier to work with? And thanks Em, this version is MUCH lower fat! :)
It’s early am and now I’m swooning, Celia. Your strudel looks absolutely wonderful, indeed, nagyon finom! This sounds very similar to my own version, which I must bake for Peter (there are so many things on my repertoire that I have yet to cook for him!). I wonder if farm cheese is still available at good delis? Lovely post darling xox
I’m pretty sure you can buy the Brancourts at Costco, love! xx
Oh PS… it just happens that I bought some filo the other day as I want to do something with all my beautiful spinach… now you’ve given me another idea. Love your work. Say hello to June from us please : )
I will, I think she really enjoyed your company! :)
As we did very much enjoy hers and yours xox
Note is already on next week’s shopping list = get some fillo pastry. This looks wonderful.
After the dramas with the frozen puff pastry, this was such a treat to work with!
A very tasty sweet- a classic that I must try.
Thanks Francesca! I’m inspired to consider other fillo pastry recipes now! :)
Fabulous! Classic cottage cheesecake appeals to me much more than Philly, I like quark too. Nice idea to turn it into strudel, I think I might try this with sour cherries. Thanks for the inspiration
I think sour cherries would be fabulous in it!
Anything wrapped in pastry does it for me, although I’m not sure I could sell this to my children. I suspect I’d end up eating most of it myself – but that works too!
Hahaha…whereas my sons will eat just about anything wrapped in pastry, regardless of filling! :)
Have not worked with filo in a long while, your strudel reminds me it is time to do some baking.
Hope you have fun, Norma! I’m going to buy another packet!
This looks divine! I love cheese strudels. That reminds me, can I please come along for another Costco visit one day? :D
Of course! We’ll arrange a time!
I just remembered I have fillo dough in the refrigerator! I’m on to this right now. :)
Seeing Lorraine’s comment reminds me that “my” new Costco will be opening in a couple of months in Brisbane. I cannot wait! (but I must)
Maureen, I hope your first Costco visit gets its own blog post, I can’t wait to read about it! :)
G’day! This look terrific Celia! Wish I could come through the screen and enjoy a slice with my coffee!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks Joanne! It was delicious!
I much prefer the European cheese cakes to anything made with cream cheese. I wish I could crack that filo with a fork it looks divine.
Thanks Nancy! The trick here is tracking down the European-style cheese – thankfully the old Europeans have that sorted! :D
That looks so good. At lunchtime I used the internet to track down a supplier of that cottage cheese in Brisbane (I emailed Brancourts and they answered almost straight away, which I thought was pretty darn good), but because I was not paying attention to my lunch I am now sporting tomato on my white top!
Jan, that’s good service, isn’t it! I’m not a fan of their other products (don’t like their yoghurt), but this is so good that we always pick up a block whenever we’re at Costco. Hope the tomato washed out! :)
You are so inventive with your cooking Celia. Your recipe book must be full to overflowing. I’m laid low with the flu at the moment but will be trying my first loaf as soon as possible. The starter Bonnie has worked on my first attempt which l was very happy with thanks to your generosity:)
Jody, hooray! Thanks for letting me know – have fun with Bonnie!
Thanks Celia. Enjoy your well deserved break:)
Look like a great strudel to me, Celia. Not only does it use cottage cheese but sour cream and lemon, too. It must be quite flavorful, like a good strudel should be. Although I’ve used fillo before, it’s not my favorite thing to work with. I need to work faster than what I do and I’d probably have fewer problems. I do want to give this a try, though, fillo or not. It sounds too good to pass up.
John, thank you! I’m glad it was the frozen puff pastry that gave me problems and not the fillo, because puff I can whip up. Fillo involves that whole “stretching pastry over the entire table top until it’s paper thin” thing, and there’s no way I’m doing that! :)
Yummy – pastry looks great to me! I’ve been to Hungary, but never came across the cheese strudel. That was a shame!
Nick, did you ever try the cottage cheese slice? I think that’s more traditional! :)
I love this strudel. I’m not sure I’ve made it before but I have eaten it and I love the flavours. I’m glad the filo worked out for you xx
Thanks Charlie, I’m relieved too! And I was pleased enough to consider buying more! :)
I don’t have a very sweet tooth but when the urge strikes, this would be exactly what I’d enjoy! Looks so good :)
Thanks Chica! Pete loves this because it really isn’t overly sweet.
Strudel = Happy Anna. Strudel is my all time fav dessert. The kitchen sent up a strudel for us to share yesterday, going to get my chef on & bring this bad boy in for tea time Friday. Thanks Celia for sharing. X
Thanks Anna! Hope you enjoyed it!
So glad this pastry did not fail you :)
Me too, Tandy! Thanks.. :)
I haven’t had breakfast yet, and now all I want is cheesecake or egg and bacon pie! Yum!
Hahaha! I could do with a egg and bacon pie as well!
Egg and Ham Pies!! I hope that recipes will follow this pretty one:) I haven’t made a strudel in absolutely ages. I love filo with it’s delicate crumbling crispiness. I took a peak at your other recipe, this one looks like it might go a bit quicker?? xx
Barb, this one is MUCH easier, as I didn’t have to make the fiddly shortcrust pastry from scratch. The savoury pie was easy – I had a stack of buttered fillo, cut into large squares. I scattered over ham, dusted with a little ground pepper, and then cracked a raw egg into the middle. Then it was a case of folding the pastry sides up while chasing the raw egg around to make sure it was all encased and then baking! :)
Oh, my goodness.. I’m on a juice cleanse and my tummy is complaining, crying actually, as I read how yummy this is.. xx
Celia, I just made your Dumpling recipe today with my kids….so delicious. Check out the photos on my blog where I wrote about them.
http://www.oursimpleandmeaningfullife.blogspot.com
Kathy, that’s absolutely wonderful! Thanks for letting me know! :)
This looks delicious, I think I have to get over my fear of working with pastry and try to make this :)
Stefanie, never be afraid! :)
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2010/10/23/kitchen-bravery/
I love your sweet cheese strudel. I’ve only made regular cheese strudel once including the dough from scratch (as a personal challenge) but I think I’ll make it using bought phyllo in the future.
So far, all the phyllo dishes I’ve made have been Middle Eastern in nature: semolina custard rolls (galactoboureko), a spinach and cheese pie (spanakotiropita), as well as a chorizo version of the spinach and cheese pie, and, of course, walnut baklava.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/tag/phyllo
You made fillo from scratch? I bow to your great prowess… :) Thanks for the link, I’ll check it out.
This looks so good Celia. I love strudel. All that crispy flaky pastry and creamy filling. Lovely.
I had an overload on cheese and bread/pastry in Georgia but now ready to leap in again ….tempted by this version :)
Celia I made June’s cheese cake at Christmas after an exciting trip to Costco. It was a sensation. But I’ll feel much less guilty about filo pastry (June’s pastry is so rich, but delicious) so can’t wait to give this one a try. Thank you!
MMMM,…2 beautiful filled puff pastry creations! I prefer the dessert one the most! Yummm!
I would soak the raisins in some rum or so, for added flavour! ;) xxx
It sure looks yummy, and I love the look of the egg and bacon pies too! Xox