Russian shortcrust tart

Ingredients:

Ingredients for shortcrust pastry:

250 g all-purpose flour

150 g butter

40 g sugar

2 tbsp bitter cacao

1 egg

Filling:

500 g cottage cheese

400 ml sour cream

200 g sugar

4 eggs

2 instant pudding  (vannila flavor 2 x 37g)

1 orange grated zest

Grated shortcrust pastry:

120 g all purpose flour

100 g butter

40 g sugar

2 tbsp bitter cacao

Preparation:

Preparation for shortcrust pastry:

Place the flour, cacao, sugar and cubes of butter in a bowl. Using only the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. This will take a few minutes but soon you will have flour bread crumbs.

Pour the egg into your bread crumb mixture and stir with the blade of a knife – using a knife saves you from getting eggy flour stuck all over your hands. 

It will start to form ‘clumps’ of dough when it is spread evenly.

After a few squishes with your hands, you will find you have the perfect ball of dough. Sprinkle some flour on your counter top and squish the ball of dough down with the palm of your hand to flatten it slightly.

Wrap the dough in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Take the dough out the fridge. Place the disk of dough on a lightly-floured counter top. Place some flour in your hands and on your rolling pin as well.

Roll out your dough until it is about 4mm thick. Turn the dough clockwise as you roll it, as you want to get as close to a circle as you can.

Now to place your dough in your baking pan (Ø 22 cm). With lightly floured hands, gently press the dough into your tin – especially into the corners.

Preparation for filling:

In the meantime whille you are waiting for dough to cool, make a filling.

Mix eggs and sugar, and then add cottage cheese, sour cream, grated orange zest and two instant puddings. Mix filling verry well, to prevent cheese or pudding crumbles.

Pour the filling in baking pan.

Preparation for grated shortcrust pastry:

Mix all ingredients, to form dough. After a few squishes with your hands, you will find you have the perfect ball of dough. Grate shortcut pastry on top of the filling. Spread it evenly to cover the filling.

Bake the shortcrust tart in the oven on 180°C, for 60 minutes.

Cool it and serve with coffee or tea by your choice.

Bon appetit!

Kind regards, till next reading...