Mini cheese pastries

A few times a year, I make cheese and raisin pastries when I have leftover cottage cheese in the fridge. In the Dobrogea region, where my grandparents often cooked, these pastries appear at festive meals, but also as simple snacks. I prefer them because they are easy to make, keep well, and I can change the filling based on what I have at home. They are quite fluffy and the filling comes out creamy, not dry.

Quick info

Total time: about 2 hours (including rising)
Servings: 14-16 pastries
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

For the dough:
350-400 g all-purpose flour
150 ml warm milk (not hot)
1 egg
1 tablespoon soft butter (about 25 g)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch of salt
20 g fresh yeast (or 7 g dry yeast)

For the filling:
300 g sweet cottage cheese (well-drained)
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1 vial vanilla essence
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
4-5 tablespoons raisins (about 50 g)
2-3 tablespoons coconut (for sprinkling on top)
1 beaten egg (for brushing the pastries)

Preparation method

1. Start with the dough. Mix the fresh yeast with the warm milk and one tablespoon of sugar, let it sit for 10 minutes. If using dry yeast, you can add everything directly to the flour; it doesn’t need to be activated separately.
2. In a large bowl, place the sifted flour. Make a well in the center, add the egg, soft butter, remaining sugar, and salt. Pour in the yeast and milk mixture. Mix with a spoon, then knead by hand for 7-10 minutes until you have an elastic dough. If it’s sticky, sprinkle a little more flour, but don’t overdo it. It should be slightly soft, not dense.
3. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 60-75 minutes, until it nearly doubles in volume. In the meantime, you can prepare the filling.
4. For the filling, place the sweet cottage cheese (well-drained) in a bowl. Add the egg, sugar, vanilla essence, and the lemon and orange zest. Mix well with a fork or a hand mixer, just enough to make it smooth, not too liquid. Finally, fold in the raisins. If the filling seems too soft, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of semolina or breadcrumbs.
5. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat).
6. Remove the risen dough onto a floured surface. Roll out to about 0.5 cm thick. Using a knife or a pastry cutter, cut squares of 8 x 8 cm. They don’t have to be perfect.
7. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Fold the edges like an envelope, pressing well at the ends to prevent the cheese from leaking while baking. For extra security, you can also use a fork to press the edges.
8. Arrange the pastries on the tray, leaving a little space between them. Brush them with beaten egg using a pastry brush. Sprinkle coconut on top if you like a crunchy texture.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. They took about 18 minutes for me, but it depends on the oven, so check after 15 minutes.
10. Remove them to a cooling rack. They are good warm, but more practical when cold.

Why I make this recipe often

I like that I can use leftover cheese and raisins that I always have at home. The pastries keep well for 2-3 days and don’t dry out. They can be packed for lunch or served at breakfast. If I want, I can easily change the filling.

Tips and variations

Tips
- If the cheese is too watery, drain it an hour before starting.
- For fluffy dough, don’t add too much flour, even if it seems soft at first.
- Don’t overfill each square; otherwise, the pastries may burst while baking.
- If you want a shinier crust, brush them twice with egg, 5 minutes after placing them on the tray.

Substitutions
- Sweet cottage cheese can be replaced with well-drained ricotta or urda.
- Instead of white sugar, you can use brown sugar.
- Vanilla essence can be replaced with a packet of vanilla sugar.
- Coconut is optional; you can use poppy seeds or a little granulated sugar instead.

Variations
- Filling with grated pumpkin and a little sugar, for an autumn version.
- Filling with thick jam, but be careful not to make it too liquid.
- You can sprinkle a little cinnamon instead of coconut over the egg wash.

Serving ideas
- They are good with tea or coffee at breakfast.
- They can be lightly dusted with sugar.
- If they are cold, you can warm them for 2-3 minutes in the oven before serving.

Frequently asked questions

1. The dough doesn’t rise well. What can I do?
If the dough doesn’t rise, the yeast was likely old or the milk was too hot and killed the yeast. Use fresh yeast and milk that is only warm, not hot.

2. How do I prevent the cheese from leaking in the tray?
Don’t put too much filling and seal the edges of the pastries well. If the cheese is too liquid, add 1 tablespoon of semolina or breadcrumbs.

3. Can I freeze the pastries?
Yes, they can be frozen after they have cooled completely. Heat them directly from frozen in the oven at 160°C for 10-12 minutes.

4. Can I use salty cheese?
If you want a savory version, you can use telemea or burduf cheese, but don’t add sugar or vanilla essence to the filling.

5. Can the dough be prepared a day in advance?
You can let the dough rise slowly in the fridge overnight, covered. Take it out an hour before working with it.

Nutritional values (per piece, estimated)

Calories: 130-150 kcal
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Fat: 3.5 g

The value varies depending on how much filling you use and what type of cheese you choose.

Storage and reheating

The pastries keep well for 2-3 days at room temperature in a container with a lid or in a paper bag. They don’t harden too quickly. If any are left after 3 days, they can be stored in the fridge, but I recommend reheating them for 5 minutes in the oven before serving to regain their fluffy texture. They can be frozen and last up to a month.

We start with the dough: dissolve the yeast in milk, add the egg and butter, and mix with a whisk for light mixtures. Add the sugar and salt, then the sifted flour. Knead a compact dough and let it rise well. If necessary, you can add more flour. Setting the raisins and coconut aside, blend the cheese with the remaining ingredients using an immersion blender with a blade. Finally, add the raisins. Roll out the risen dough thinly on the work surface, cut it into squares of about 8/8 cm. Place some cheese filling on each square, then seal the edges to form the desired pastries. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush with egg, and sprinkle with coconut. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. The result is delicious: fluffy mini pastries with plenty of cheese and raisins and an unforgettable aroma on cool winter days.

 Ingredients: For the dough we need: 350 - 400 g flour, 150 ml warm milk, one egg, one tablespoon of soft butter, two tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, 20 g yeast. For the filling we need: 300 g sweet cow cheese, one egg + one beaten egg for brushing, 2 tablespoons of sugar, one vial of vanilla essence, grated zest of one lemon and one orange, 4 - 5 tablespoons of raisins, coconut.

 Tags:  mini cheese pastries