KTK Cheese Strudel Filling |
| 2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, well beaten 2/3 cup sour cream 1/2 lb pot cheese* 3/4+ cup sugar (depends on cheese) 1 cup raisins lemon zest (optional) butter for basting strudel leaves Studel leaves or phyllo pastry * Farmer's cheese, large curd cottage cheese, ricotta, fresh goat cheese, pot cheese, etc., or a mixture will do well. It is essential the cheeses be well drained (and patted dry with paper towels if necessary). If not using an electric mixer, push cheese through a sieve before using. Combine butter, eggs, and sour cream and beat well. Add cheese and sugar. Taste mixture and adjust sweetness. Add raisins (plumped in wine or water) and lemon zest. Mix gently. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 2 sheets of phyllo pastry on cloth; brush with melted butter, starting at the edges and working toward the middle. Top with 2 more sheets of pastry. Brush with butter and add 2 more sheets, up to 10 may be used if desired. Mold cheese mixture into a sausage shape
along longest side of pastry and roll like a jelly roll. Lift carefully
and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden,
30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
Store bought ricotta is very wet (we make our own). If you really want to use ricotta, you will need to drain it for a day by wrapping it in cheese cloth and putting it in a sieve or strainer with weight on it. You would need to treat dry curd cottage cheese the same way. A better choice is to buy Farmer's cheese that you just need to blot the excess moisture off with paper towels before you use it. That is what we use if we don't have any ricotta around. If necessary, you can use unflavored breadcrumbs (preferably home made) as an addition to the filling to absorb moisture. The final consistency should be about that of creamy cottage cheese. That is, it should mound up and not run, except for a little around the edges. Some other thoughts: Be sure you pour off the watery liquid that sometimes accumulates on the top of the sour cream before using it. Do not use low fat sour cream or yoghurt. Be sure that the egg whites are beaten to the stiff/dry stage.
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