Ingredients:
Dough:
500 g high grade flour,
1 egg
Pinch of salt
2 tbs oil
Lukewarm water
1 tbs white vinegar
Filling:
500 g cottage cheese
3 eggs
150 ml sour cream
3 tbs sugar
3 tbs chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Topping:
½ cup oil
50-80 g breadcrumbs
Sugar and cinnamon to taste
Method:
Dough: from mixed ingredients make smooth dough by working them with hand in a bowl. When it easily separates from the wall of the bowl, oil it on top (to prevent drying out) and let it rest for half an hour.
Filling: Mix all ingredients together. Use old tablecloth and cover it with flour. Roll the dough until it is about 1 cm thick, then spread by fingers until it is couple of mm thick (should NOT be thin as filo pastry) and of rectangular shape.
Sprinkle it lightly with oil and spread the filling along longer side through ¾ of the dough.
Roll the dough from the filled towards unfilled side (help yourself by pulling the tablecloth). Cut it 5-8cm in length by rolling the edge of a plate over it. These way little pillows called strukli are formed.
Bring larger pot of salted water (3-4l) to boil. Gently put strukli into boiling water, stir lightly that they don’t adhere to the bottom and cook for about 15 mins; they will be floating atop. Don’t cook in overcrowded pot (cook in batches if needed). Take them out of water on a serving plate.
In a frying pan heat the oil and brown the breadcrumbs. Pour over the strukli. Serve them warm. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste.
Note: Cooked tarragon strukli with their particular aroma are typical dish Of Slovenian gastronomy. First recorded recipe is from 1589 and they were on the menu as a holiday dish, for which they are valued today as well. I remember them as one of my grandma’s signature dishes.