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Topfengolatschen
Sweet quark puff pastry squares
Viennese puff pastry squares with sweet quark and raisins
A Topfengolatsche is what Viennese office workers grab from the bakery on the way in, and what grandparents order with a Melange in a coffee house on a Sunday afternoon. The corners of a puff pastry square are folded over a lemony, vanilla-scented filling of Topfen (Austrian quark) with plump raisins, and the top gets a thin white glaze. It is flaky, light and not too sweet. Raisins are sometimes soaked in rum; warm water or orange juice works just as well, and the recipe below is alcohol-free. Wet quark is the classic problem, because it turns the filling runny and it leaks out in the oven. Chef's tip: hang the quark in a sieve lined with a clean cloth for an hour, or squeeze it, until it is as thick as soft cream cheese.
- Total time
- 57 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1 ⅛ lb all-butter puff pastrychilled
For the filling
- 9 oz quark (Topfen)well drained
- 1 oz buttersoft
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ oz cornflour
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅜ oz raisinssoaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained; or in 1 tbsp rum
For the glaze
- 1 eggbeaten; or brush with milk for an egg-free glaze
- 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar (optional)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Beat 9 oz quark (Topfen), 1 oz butter, 1 ¾ oz icing sugar, 1 egg yolk, ½ oz cornflour, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth, then stir in 1 ⅜ oz raisins. Chill while you prepare the pastry.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line two baking trays. Roll 1 ⅛ lb all-butter puff pastry to 4 mm thick and cut eight 12 cm squares.
Step 3: Spoon the filling into the centre of each square, keeping a 3 cm border clear. Brush the border with a little 1 egg.
Step 4: Fold the four corners into the middle so they overlap slightly over the filling, and press down firmly; the sides stay open so you can see the filling.
Step 5: Brush the tops with the rest of the egg, keeping it off the cut edges, and chill for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 6: Bake for 18–22 minutes, until puffed and deep golden and the filling is just set.
20 minStep 7: Cool on a rack. If you like, mix 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar with 1 tbsp lemon juice into a thin glaze and drizzle it over. Best on the day they are baked.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does topfengolatschen take?
- About 57 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 22 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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 butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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