Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Here is June’s recipe for cottage cheese and sour cream cake.  This makes an impressive dessert, which I’d probably serve with icecream or whipped cream.  I’ve added my notes in italics.

Pastry

• 250g unsalted butter
• 150g icing sugar mixture
• 450 – 500 g flour – half continental flour and half plain flour (I used 150g bread flour and 300g plain flour)
• 1 egg and 2 egg yolks (I used 2 whole eggs)

1. Tip the flour and icing sugar onto a large workspace (or into a large, wide mixing bowl) and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until well combined.

2. Add the whole egg and egg yolks and knead into a smooth silky dough.  Note that this can be quite a sticky dough to work – June deliberately uses less flour at the beginning, so that she can use lots of flour in the kneading part without making it too dry. You’ll need to liberally dust the bench with flour, and feel free to add more flour to the dough as needed .

3. Divide the dough into two balls, and allow to rest, covered, while you prepare the filling. (I put them in the fridge wrapped in plastic whilst I made the filling). This pastry also makes wonderful apple pies!

Filling

• 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
• 1 egg extra (for eggwash)

Note: European style cottage cheese (also known as “Farm style cottage cheese”) is sold in a block rather than a tub.  The brand June uses is Brancourts. It tastes a little like a cross between tub cottage cheese and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 180C. 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.

2. 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.

3. Line a slice tin with a sheet of Bake, and roll out one of the pastry balls into a rectangle large enough to cover the base.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the base to help absorb any excess liquid and prevent the pastry from becoming soggy. (I didn’t have breadcrumbs, so I sprinkled in a couple of tsps of semolina). Pour in the filling.

4. Roll the remaining pastry into thin logs and criss cross them across the top of the filling in a lattice formation. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a fork, and brush over the pastry strips.

5. Bake until light golden brown, about 30 – 40 minutes (time is very approximate – you really need to just watch this until it looks about right).