Hungarian Cheese Danish

Ingredients for the dough:
1 T yeast
1/3 cup milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour, sifted

Ingredients for the filling:
12 ounces farmer’s cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 T flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg yolk
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Preparing the pastries:
flour, for dusting
1 large egg mixed with 1 T water
confectioners’ sugar, optional

Preparing the dough:
In bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and milk and allow to sit for a few minutes. Stir in eggs, butter, sour cream, sugar, salt and flour. Mix well until dough turns into a ball. Transfer to a covered container and allow to rest for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

Preparing the filling:
In bowl of an electric mixer, combine farmer’s cheese, sour cream, sugar, flour, vanilla, egg yolk and lemon zest. Mix well. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed, up to 24 hours.

Assembling the pastries:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out dough into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 4-by-4-inch squares. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into center of each square. Pick up corners of each square and press points together.

Arrange pastries on baking sheets about 1½ inches apart. Brush with egg mixture. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool and serve as is or sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes about 24 pastries