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Túrós lepény
Sweet curd cheese sheet cake
Hungarian sweet curd cheese sheet cake with raisins
Hungarians use túró, a dry, crumbly fresh curd cheese, the way other cooks use cream, and túrós lepény is one of its homeliest outings: a thin short pastry base, a deep layer of lemony sweetened curd with raisins, baked in a tray and cut into squares for afternoon coffee, a picnic at Lake Balaton or the school lunch box. The filling is light and tangy rather than dense like a cheesecake, because the egg whites are whipped and folded in. Wet curd is the classic mistake; it weeps and the base goes soggy, so press the cheese through a sieve and use farmer's cheese or well-drained quark if you can't find túró. Chef's tip: take the lepény out while the very centre still has a slight wobble; it sets as it cools and stays creamy instead of cracking.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 9 oz plain flour
- 4 ½ oz buttercold, diced
- 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp sour cream
For the filling
- 1 ⅔ lb túró or farmer's cheesepressed through a sieve
- 3 eggsseparated
- 4 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsp fine semolina
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ⅞ oz raisinssoaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained
- 3 ½ oz sour cream
To finish
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 4 ½ oz butter into 9 oz plain flour, 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar and ½ tsp baking powder until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg yolk and 3 tbsp sour cream and press into a dough without kneading. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Line a 23 × 33 cm tin with baking paper.
Step 3: Roll or press the pastry over the base of the tin. Prick with a fork and bake for 10–12 minutes, until pale gold at the edges.
12 minStep 4: Beat 1 ⅔ lb túró or farmer's cheese with the yolks from 3 eggs, 4 ½ oz caster sugar, 3 ½ oz sour cream, 2 tbsp fine semolina, 1 tbsp lemon zest and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in 2 ⅞ oz raisins.
Step 5: Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them into the curd in two lots.
Step 6: Spread the filling over the warm base and bake for 30–35 minutes, until puffed, light golden on top and set at the edges with a slight wobble in the centre.
33 minStep 7: Cool in the tin, then chill for at least 1 hour. Dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar and cut into squares.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does túrós lepény take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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