Russian Cottage Cheese Casserole (Zapekanka)
By Olga Babitskaya
Prep Time:
10M
Cook Time:
50M
Cuisine:
Russian
Buongiorno, signore e signori!
Presenting the Bellissimo ZapekaCCissimo, a delightful sweet cottage cheese casserole-issimo! (I kiss three fingers and wave them in the air 🤌)
If I sound a bit dramatic, it’s because I’m currently on vacation in Italy, having breakfast in Venice. While I’m not enjoying this particular Russian cottage cheese casserole right this second, the food here certainly isn’t bad either! 😅
You’ll want to let this dish rest for a few hours after baking to allow it to cool properly. If you get the timing just right, this sweet bake develops a beautiful custard-like texture. It stays soft enough to slice cleanly, making it the perfect dessert to enjoy on a lazy evening with a cup of herbal tea.
Ingredients
- 400g cottage cheese
- 90g butter (82.5%)
- 2 eggs, separated
- 100g sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 100g raisins
- 30g rice or coconut flour (can be replaced with semolina)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.
- Blend the room temperature butter with the cottage cheese and egg yolks until smooth.
- Scald the raisins and pat them dry.
- Add the flour, raisins, and salt to the cottage cheese mixture. Mix with a spatula.
- Beat the egg whites with the sugar until fluffy.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the cottage cheese mixture with a spatula.
- Grease and flour a baking pan (a “French shirt”) or line it with parchment paper.
- Pour the mixture into the pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes until golden brown.
- Leave the finished casserole in the switched-off oven with the door open for 10 minutes, then cool at room temperature.
