Cheese pies

Every time I make cheese pies, I start simply: I gather all the ingredients on the kitchen counter and let them sit for a bit to reach room temperature. I make myself a coffee and while I heat the milk, I start sifting the flour directly into a large bowl. If I use fresh cottage cheese, I know the pies will turn out more tender and with a milder taste. I've tried the recipe in various combinations, and after several rounds, I've settled on the proportions below.

Quick Info

Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including dough rising)
Servings: 16-18 pies
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

Dough
1 kg flour (plus 100-150 g for dusting)
400 g sugar
a pinch of salt
300 ml whole milk
3 medium eggs
100 ml vegetable oil
300 g sour cream with at least 20% fat
1 packet baking powder (10 g)
2 packets dry yeast (14 g total)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated zest of one orange
1 teaspoon rum essence

Filling
400 g cottage cheese
250 g sweet cow cheese (fresh, unsalted)
250 g cow telemea cheese (not too salty; if it is salty, you can use less)
2 egg yolks
150 g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon rum essence

Decoration
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon milk
vanilla powdered sugar for serving

Preparation Method

1. Dough. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder, yeast, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork and add a pinch of salt. Heat the milk until warm (not hot), then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, rum essence, and orange zest. Mix in the beaten egg yolks, then pour in the oil and combine.

2. Combine liquids with solids. Make a well in the flour and gradually pour in the liquid mixture, stirring with your hand or a spoon at first. Start kneading for 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and no longer sticks to the sides. At first, it may seem very sticky, but with patience, it will come together well.

3. Rising. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place, away from drafts (next to the stove or in the turned-off oven). Generally, 1 hour is enough; the dough should double in size.

4. Preparing the filling. Mix all the cheeses with the sugar in a bowl. Add the vanilla, rum essence, orange zest, and finally, the egg yolks. Mix well until you get a smooth paste. If you're using wetter cow cheese, let it drain a bit beforehand.

5. Forming the pies. Generously dust the countertop with flour and turn out the dough. Sprinkle it with a bit of flour and fold it inward a few times, just enough to avoid stickiness. Shape it into a roll and divide it into 3 large pieces. Work with each piece one at a time, keeping the others covered so they don't dry out.

6. Divide each large piece into 5-6 smaller pieces, depending on the desired size. Shape each piece with floured hands, gently roll it out, and place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center. Fold the pie, pinch the edges, and place the "sealed" side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

7. Rising in the tray. After arranging them on the tray, let them rise for another 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C, pastry setting if available.

8. Glazing. Beat the 3 egg yolks with a tablespoon of milk. Brush the pies with a pastry brush, being careful not to press too hard so they don't deflate.

9. Baking. Place the tray in the oven on the middle rack. The pies should bake for 25-30 minutes until they are nicely browned on top. If they seem to be coloring too much, cover them lightly with parchment paper in the last 10 minutes.

10. Cooling and serving. Remove the tray, let the pies cool for 10 minutes in the tray, then transfer them to a wire rack. Sprinkle with vanilla powdered sugar only after they have completely cooled.

Why I make this recipe often

It’s one of the pies that comes together quite quickly for how good it is. I like that the dough stays tender for 2-3 days and doesn’t dry out quickly. The filling is hearty, and you can play around with whatever you have on hand. I also take them to go or serve them for breakfast with yogurt.

Tips and Variations

Tips

Knead the dough a bit more if it’s very soft at first; it becomes elastic after 8-10 minutes.
Let the cow cheese drain if it seems very watery.
Use disposable gloves when kneading if you don’t like working with sticky dough.
Substitutions

Cottage cheese can be replaced with ricotta, and telemea can be substituted with feta or another semi-salty cheese.
If you don’t have sour cream, you can use full-fat yogurt, but the dough texture will be a bit different.
The sugar can be reduced to 300 g if you want it to be less sweet.
Variations

The pies can also be made with just sweet cheese, without telemea, or just with cottage cheese, depending on what you have.
You can add raisins or cranberries to the filling.
They can be shaped round, rectangular, or triangular, according to preference.
Serving Ideas

They can be enjoyed both warm and cold. They are great with coffee or tea, with yogurt or extra sour cream.
You can cut them into smaller cubes and serve on platters with sweet snacks.
Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use fresh yeast instead of dry yeast?
Yes. For this amount, use 35-40 g of fresh yeast, dissolved in a bit of warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar.

2. What type of sweet cheese is suitable for the filling?
I recommend fresh cow cheese, not too wet and not too sour. If it’s very wet, drain it beforehand.

3. Can the pies be frozen after baking?
Yes, they can be frozen individually wrapped in foil. For serving, let them thaw and reheat in the oven.

4. What should I do if the dough is too hard?
Add a bit of warm milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a soft and elastic consistency.

5. How do I know when they are baked?
The golden color and a slightly firm crust on top are the best indicators. If you’re not sure, break one open and check that the dough isn’t raw in the middle.

Nutritional values (estimated, per serving)

Calories: approximately 320 kcal
Protein: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 48 g
Fat: 10 g
Fiber: 2 g
It’s a fairly filling recipe, with a high carbohydrate content from the dough and protein from the cheese.

Storage and Reheating

They can be stored for 2-3 days in a closed container at room temperature. If you want to keep them longer, they can be kept in the fridge, but ideally, you should take them out an hour before serving to return to room temperature. For reheating, place the pies in the preheated oven at 150°C for 5 minutes or 30 seconds in the microwave, but the texture is better reheated in the oven.

The dough is not complicated, on the contrary, it is extremely simple. We sift the flour into a bowl for the sweet bread. We add the sugar on top, the baking powder, and the dry yeast. We take care of the liquid ingredients. We mix the egg yolks with a pinch of salt and beat them well with a fork (whisk). In a pot, we heat the milk slightly and add the sour cream and all the flavors: vanilla, orange zest, and rum. We add the egg yolks, then the oil, and mix well. It is very important to always check that the liquid remains warm and not hot. We set the pot aside and pour the mixture over the solid ingredients in the bowl. We need to knead for about ten minutes until the dough easily separates from the bowl. If it seems sticky at first, do not worry; as you knead, it becomes more elastic and denser. We let the dough rise, covering the bowl with a cloth. I usually leave it in a warm place in the kitchen near the stove. In the meantime, we prepare the filling. We mix the cheese well with the sugar, add the flavors, and finally the egg yolks. We put the bowl in the fridge. After an hour, it has risen beautifully, and we will work with it. We flour the working surface well with a handful of flour. We place the dough and cover it with flour on top. Next, we fold it inward, and each time we will flour it until it is no longer sticky at all. We shape it into a roll and divide it into three large pieces by eye. We put two pieces in the bowl and keep one on the working surface. We will divide this piece into three smaller pieces. We flour the working surface and stretch the dough with our hands. We can choose the shapes for the pastries, round, rectangular (like wallets)... In the middle, we place one or two tablespoons of filling and fold the pastry. We preheat the oven to 200 degrees on the pastry setting. We line the baking tray with parchment paper and carefully place the pastries. Before putting them in the oven, we brush them with egg yolk mixed with milk. We bake the pastries for 25-30 minutes (depending on the oven). After taking the tray out, we let it cool slightly and move the pastries to a rack to cool. We will dust them with vanilla powdered sugar or serve them as they are. Delicious!

 Ingredients: Dough: 1 kg flour (plus about 100-150 g for dusting) 400 g sugar a pinch of salt 300 ml sweet milk 3 medium eggs 100 ml vegetable oil 300 g sour cream 1 packet of baking powder 2 packets of dry yeast vanilla rum essence grated orange peel Filling: 400 g ricotta (I had a box of ricotta with sour cream from Olimpus) 250 g sweet cheese (traditional) 250 g telemea (Hochland cow cheese) 2 egg yolks 150 g sugar vanilla rum essence orange peel Decoration: 3 egg yolks for brushing 1 tablespoon of milk vanilla powdered sugar

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