Soft curd, vanilla, and sweet jam create delicate pastries that smell wonderful and require no rising. They’re perfect with coffee, tea, or as a quick homemade treat during the day.
The dough just needs to be mixed, rested for about 20 minutes, and then shaped into small pieces with an indentation for the filling. You can use jam, your favorite preserve, or Nutella, so this simple sweet treat easily adapts to whatever you have at home.
What You’ll Need
For the curd dough:
- 250 g soft curd cheese,
- 250 g plain flour, or 2 extra tablespoons if needed,
- 1 egg,
- 70 ml vegetable oil, such as sunflower, or melted butter,
- 50 g granulated or cane sugar, or a sugar substitute,
- 1 packet vanilla or vanillin sugar,
- 1 baking powder.
For the filling and finishing:
- jam to taste, or your favorite preserve or Nutella,
- 1 egg or egg yolk for brushing,
- powdered sugar for dusting, optional.
The original recipe does not specify the exact amount of jam or powdered sugar, so adjust according to the number of pastries and your taste preference.
Step-by-step Preparation:
1. Beating the egg: Beat the egg with granulated and vanilla sugar until foamy. This ensures the sugar blends evenly with the other ingredients and creates a smooth dough base.
2. Adding curd and oil: Add 70 ml vegetable oil and 250 g soft curd cheese to the beaten egg. Mix everything thoroughly so there are no large curd lumps left in the mixture.
3. Making the dough: Mix the plain flour with baking powder and gradually add it to the curd mixture. Work into a smooth and soft dough. If it’s too sticky, add up to 2 more tablespoons of flour as needed.
4. Resting: Place the finished dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This short rest will make shaping the small pastries easier.
5. Shaping the pastries: From the rested dough, form small balls, ideally weighing 24 g each. Slightly flatten each ball and make an indentation in the center with your finger for the filling.
6. Filling and brushing: Place a small amount of jam, preserve, or Nutella into each indentation. Brush the edges of the pastries with beaten egg or yolk so they turn golden during baking.
7. Baking: Transfer the pastries onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place them in an oven preheated to 180°C and bake for about 10–15 minutes, until the edges are golden.
8. Cooling and serving: Let the baked pastries cool slightly. Serve them warm or completely cooled, and optionally dust with powdered sugar. They’re great with coffee, tea, or as a quick treat for guests.
What Fillings Can Replace Jam
Instead of jam, you can use thick apple purée with cinnamon, thick homemade preserves such as currant or apricot, or poppy seeds mixed with milk and sugar. The filling should be thick enough to stay in the indentation.
How to Make the Pastries Linzer-Style
You can also roll out the dough and cut out circles. Prepare bottom pieces with an indentation and top pieces with a cut-out center. After baking, sandwich the parts together with jam for a simple Linzer-style variation.
Tip for Flavoring the Dough
For a more interesting texture, add a handful of chopped nuts, raisins, or cranberries to the dough. A bit of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, lemon zest, a few drops of lemon juice, or rum flavoring also work well. The pastries will have a more pronounced and pleasantly fragrant note.
