Plăcinte cu brânză (Romanian cheese pastries)

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 kg flour
• 400 ml milk
• 50 g fresh yeast
• 4 egg yolks (from 4 eggs)
• 150 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium lemon (zest)
• 120 g sour cream
• 10 ml vanilla essence
• 150 ml oil

For the filling

• 500 g cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 100 g sour cream
• 100 g sugar
• 50 g semolina
• 50 g raisins

To finish

• 20 g powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Warm the 400 ml of milk until lukewarm. Dissolve 50 g of yeast in it, stir in 3 tablespoons of flour taken from the total amount, and leave for 10 minutes, until bubbles appear. 2. Beat the 4 egg yolks with 150 g of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt, then mix in the risen yeast mixture. 3. Add the zest of the lemon, 120 g of sour cream and the vanilla essence. Add the remaining flour and knead for about 20 minutes, gradually pouring in the 150 ml of oil. 4. Cover the dough and leave it to rise for 60 minutes, until it has visibly increased in volume. 5. Mix the cottage cheese with 2 eggs, 100 g of sour cream, 100 g of sugar, the semolina and the raisins. 6. Divide the dough and filling into 24 portions each. Flatten the pieces of dough, place the filling in the middle and seal the edges well. 7. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake the pastries in 3 batches, 8 at a time: 10 minutes at 180°C, then 10 minutes at 160°C, until lightly browned. 8. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the pastries.