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Vargabéles
Vargabéles: baked thin-noodle and sweet túró pudding between crisp pastry sheets
HungarianLegend ties this sweet bake to a Kolozsvár shoemaker called Varga, whose wife made it for him, and it travelled from Transylvania into every Hungarian cake shop and school canteen. Thin vermicelli noodles are folded into sweet túró (curd cheese) with egg yolks, lemon and raisins, lightened with beaten whites and baked between buttered sheets of filo, so you get a crisp top, a soft, custardy middle and a gentle tang. Cut it warm into squares and dust with icing sugar; it needs nothing else, though some like a spoon of sour cream. Túró is normally fine for vegetarians, but check the label if you need it rennet-free. Where most people go wrong is overcooking the noodles, which turns the filling stodgy; cook them a minute short. Chef's tip: press the túró through a sieve first, which gives a silky filling with no grainy bits.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ⅛ lb túró or dry quarkpushed through a sieve
- 4 eggsseparated
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemonzest only
- 2 ⅞ oz raisinssoaked in warm water 10 min, drained
- 3 ½ oz sour cream
For the pastry
- 8 filo pastry sheetsabout 250 g
- 3 ½ oz unsalted buttermelted
To serve
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Cook the 7 oz thin vermicelli noodles (cérnametélt) in boiling water with the 1 pinch salt over a high heat for 1 minute less than the packet says, until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and toss with a spoon of the ⅓ oz unsalted butter so they don't stick.
5 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and brush a 20 × 30 cm baking dish with butter.
2 minStep 3: Beat the egg yolks from the 4 eggs with 100 g of the 3 ½ oz caster sugar and the 1 tsp vanilla extract until pale, then mix in the 1 ⅛ lb túró or dry quark, the 3 ½ oz sour cream, the 1 lemon zest and the 2 ⅞ oz raisins.
5 minStep 4: Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then rain in the rest of the 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and whisk until glossy and firm.
4 minStep 5: Fold the noodles into the cheese mixture, then fold in the whites in two goes, keeping as much air as you can.
3 minStep 6: Lay 4 sheets of 8 filo pastry sheets in the dish, brushing each with the melted 1 ¾ oz unsalted butter and letting the edges come up the sides.
5 minStep 7: Spread the filling evenly, then cover with the other 4 sheets, brushing each with the rest of the 1 ⅜ oz unsalted butter. Tuck in the edges and score the top into 12 squares with a sharp knife.
6 minStep 8: Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp and the filling is set with only a slight wobble in the centre.
50 minStep 9: Rest for 10 minutes, then cut along the scored lines and dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature; leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vargabéles take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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