RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Dick Shugar Montreal Cheese Bagels - dairy
Every time I eat these, I am transported in ecstasy back to my childhood in Montreal,where my Bobbe Molly made her cheese bagels on a huge kitchen board, and where one can still find them in delis today (but not, it seems, anywhere else). They are a large, bagel-shaped, fairly sweet type of cheese knish (rather than a bread bagel) and,if not made properly, can be a bit heavy. I've lightened up the recipe by using ultra-low-fat sour cream, low-fat margarine, and low-fat pressed cottage cheese. This latter resembles cream cheese in consistency and has only 0.3% butterfat. Dry cottage cheese can be substituted so long as it is well mixed with the other filling ingredients. In the dough, you may substitute plain lowfat yogurt instead of the sour cream. If you have trouble handling the dough, which can be sticky, a good alternative is to use filo dough sheets instead. Serve these hot with sour cream as the main dish of a dairy meal. Anything you can put on blintzes, will also go well, such as applesauce or fruit preserves. Another quintessential comfort food! Filling: 1 lb. (500 gm) dry cottage cheese - or use low-fat pressed cottage cheese 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice Dough: 1/2 cup butter or margarine 2 tablespoons sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup sour cream 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt melted butter or margarine for baking 1. Make filling: Combine cheese, egg, sugar, and lemon juice and mix well until smooth. 2. Make dough: Beat butter, sugar and egg until fluffy. Add sour cream alternatively with flour, baking powder, and salt and blend well. Make a smooth dough, dusting it with flour if it gets too sticky. Divide dough into quarters for convenience. For each piece, roll out on a lightly floured board into a rectangle 1/4" in thickness. 3. Alternative filo dough method: Spread out a sheet of filo. Butter it well across the whole surface. Place another sheet of filo on top, and butter that also. Repeat until you have 4-5 layers; do not butter the topmost sheet. 4. Place filling along one edge of the dough rectangle. Roll dough around filling until dough overlaps slightly. Cut off remaining dough, and repeat until everything is used. 5. Cut rolls into 8" lengths and form either into bagel shapes, pinching edges together to join, or into a horseshoe shape, pinching either end to seal. (These shapes are traditional...a secret: you can actually leave them in 8" log shapes without anyone complaining) 6. Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned. 7. Serve hot with sour cream. Makes 1 dozen. May be frozen after baking.
