Lebni Cherry Turnovers
My neighbor, Inga, recently took me to one of her favorite international markets in Aurora, it’s called Arash. It has a wonderful selection of food including halal meats; Hungarian and Bulgarian feta cheeses; Czech butter; candies from Germany, Turkey and Russia. The prices are very reasonable. I bought some Kufteh ground lamb for under $5/lb.
While there I discovered Lebni cheese and to my delight it is very close to the matsun I enjoyed slathering all over my lavash when visiting Armenia several years ago. If you haven’t read my post about my time in Armenia – check it out!
Oh, yeah, they sell lavash at Arash too!
I also bought puff pastry squares and dried cherries at Arash and laying in bed last night (yes, these recipe ideas come to me in the middle of the night) wondered if I could create a Lebni turnover.
Well, I did and (not to toot my own horn too loudly) they are super TASTY!
If you don’t have an international market where you can pick up some Lebni you can substitute cream cheese in this recipe but it won’t have the tartness that the Lebni cheese offers.
Lebni Cherry Turnovers
makes 10 turnovers
1 c. Lebni kefir cheese
1 egg (beaten and split in half)
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. cornstarch
1/4 t. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 c. dried tart cherries
1 package of 10 (5 x 5 inch) puff pastry sheets
Pre-heat the oven to 385 degrees Fahrenheit and separate puff pastry sheets on the countertop to thaw while making the cheese filling.
Combine the cheese, 1/2 egg, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt in a bowl.
Beat with a hand mixer for about 10 minutes until loose peaks form.
Add 1 T. water to the remaining half egg and mix with a fork and set aside.
Lay four to five tart cherries in the middle of the puff pastry square.
Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese mixture on top of the cherries.
Fold into a triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork.
Note: When crimping the turnover edges together a bit of cheese may squeeze out, don’t fret, they will still bake up nicely.
Brush on egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake on a cookie sheet at least an inch apart for 15 to 18 minutes or until quite brown. Puff pastry should always be over-baked versus under-baked.
Enjoy with your morning coffee!
October 9, 2011
This entry was posted in baking, breakfast, brunch, quick and easy and tagged Arash, armenia, cherries, Lebni cheese, puff pastry.
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