Pască, Romanian cheese and raisin pastry

Name: Pască, Romanian cheese and raisin pastry
Ingredients: 50 g butter; 250 g flour; 100 g sugar; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 lemon (grated zest); 1 orange (grated zest); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoons cold water; 500 g cottage cheese; 100 g sugar; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon semolina; 50 g raisins; 50 g chocolate chips; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon water

Dessert - Pască, Romanian cheese and raisin pastry by Florentina L. - Recipia

Pască, a Romanian cheese pastry with raisins and chocolate chips, has a tender crust and is baked as two round pastries. The filling stays soft, and you can taste the lemon and orange zest among the raisins; the pastry decoration browns nicely on top. I keep the crust close to a centimeter thick and make the edge low. Prep: 30 minutes. Cook: 35 minutes. Rest: 70 minutes. Total time: 135 minutes. Servings: 12. Approximately 300 kcal and 9 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the dough

50 g butter
250 g flour
100 g sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 lemon (grated zest)
1 orange (grated zest)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cold water

For the filling

500 g cottage cheese
100 g sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon semolina
50 g raisins
50 g chocolate chips

For brushing

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon water

Preparation

1. Mix the butter with the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, grated lemon and orange zest, and vanilla. Add the 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of cold water, then knead until the dough comes together. 2. Cover the dough and chill for 10 minutes. 3. In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese with the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in the semolina, raisins, and chocolate chips. 4. Divide the dough in two. Roll each piece into a sheet about 1 cm thick and place it in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Raise a low edge around the sides. 5. Put half the filling in each pan and level it out. Decorate with the remaining dough, in a cross or any shape you like. 6. Mix the honey with the water and brush it over the decoration. Bake both pascăs at 180°C for 35 minutes, until nicely browned. 7. Leave them in the pans for 60 minutes, until cool, then carefully remove them.

Notes

Fine-grained cottage cheese spreads more evenly than a coarse one. If the cheese seems wet, put it in a sieve and let it drain before making the filling. Grate only the colored part of the lemon and orange peel; the white part underneath can taste bitter. If the dough softens while you roll it out, chill it again for a few minutes. I plan to bake the pască a few hours before serving, so it has time to cool completely. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can replace the chocolate chips with 50 g finely chopped chocolate. The dough contains gluten, and the filling has dairy and eggs. A slice goes well with unsweetened black tea.