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Rákóczi túrós
Cheesecake with meringue lattice
Rákóczi túrós: Budapest túró cheesecake on shortcrust with a baked meringue lattice and apricot jam
HungarianLook along the counter of any Budapest cukrászda and you will see Rákóczi túrós: a slab of shortcrust under a creamy, lemony túró filling, crossed with a lattice of golden meringue and dotted with apricot jam in the gaps. It was invented by the pastry chef János Rákóczi in the 1930s and won a prize at the Paris World Fair, and it has been a Hungarian favourite ever since. The textures make it: crisp pastry, soft cheese, and meringue that is crunchy on top and marshmallowy underneath. Túró is usually set without rennet, but check the label. The usual slip is piping the meringue onto a filling that is still wobbly, so the lattice sinks; bake the filling until just set first. Chef's tip: press the túró through a sieve for a silky filling with no grainy bits.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 9 oz plain flour
- 4 ½ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp sour cream
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb túró or farmer's cheesepressed through a sieve
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 5 ½ oz sour cream
- 2 tbsp semolina
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the top
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 5 ½ oz apricot jam
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a 20 x 30 cm tin with baking paper. Rub 4 ½ oz cold butter into 9 oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz icing sugar, ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt, then add 1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp sour cream and press together into a dough.
8 minStep 2: Press the dough evenly into the tin, prick with a fork and bake for 15 minutes, until pale golden.
15 minStep 3: Meanwhile, beat 1 ⅛ lb túró or farmer's cheese with 2 ⅞ oz sugar, 3 egg yolks, 5 ½ oz sour cream, 2 tbsp semolina, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp lemon zest until smooth.
4 minStep 4: Spread the filling over the hot base and bake for 20–25 minutes, until set at the edges with only a slight wobble in the centre.
25 minStep 5: Whisk 4 egg whites to soft peaks, then add 5 ½ oz sugar a spoonful at a time and whisk to stiff, glossy peaks. Lower the oven to 325°F (275°F fan).
6 minStep 6: Pipe the meringue in a diagonal lattice over the filling with a 1 cm plain nozzle.
5 minStep 7: Bake for 20 minutes, until the meringue is pale golden and crisp on the outside.
20 minStep 8: While it is still warm, spoon or pipe 5 ½ oz apricot jam into the gaps of the lattice. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rákóczi túrós take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 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 plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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