Cottage Cheese Casserole

Cooking instructions

• 1.

  Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
  This recipe is designed for a 20 cm (8-inch) baking dish.

• 2.

  Blend the cottage cheese until smooth and creamy. This will make the casserole more tender without any lumps. If you don’t have a blender, press the cheese through a sieve or mash it thoroughly with a fork.

  
• 3.

  Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Add the yolks to the cheese mixture and set the whites aside in a mixing bowl.

• 4.

  Add half of the sugar, sour cream (or thick unsweetened Greek yogurt), vanilla sugar, and flour to the cheese mixture. Mix well until everything is combined.

  
• 5.

  Rinse the raisins and dried cherries, pat them dry with a paper towel, and fold them into the cheese mixture.

  
• 6.

  Add a pinch of salt and the remaining sugar to the egg whites. Beat with a mixer for 3–5 minutes until the mixture is white, fluffy, and triples in volume.

  
• 7.

  Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cheese mixture using a spatula, making slow upward motions. Be careful not to overmix, so the batter stays airy.

• 8.

  Grease the baking dish with butter and spread the mixture evenly inside.

  
• 9.

  Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes on the middle rack.

• 10.

  When done, turn off the oven, open the door slightly, and leave the casserole inside for another 20 minutes. This will help it cool gradually and prevent it from collapsing.