Farmer's Cheese Cookies (Traditional Lithuanian Cookies)
If you’re looking for a nostalgic treat from Eastern Europe, these Farmer’s Cheese Cookies — known in Lithuania as Varškės Sausainiai or Skarelės (meaning “little scarves”) - are a must-try. These flaky, golden Lithuanian cookies are full of old-world charm, with a lightly tangy dough and a sweet cinnamon sugar crunch.
Equipment
- Large Long-Bladed Knife
- Plastic Wrap
- Baking Sheets/ Cookie Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 250 g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour a.k.a. plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 200 g (7 oz) farmer’s cheese
- 200 g (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, fridge cold
- 2 tablespoon sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 egg large
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar or demerara sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Mash the farmer's cheese very well (we like to push it through a fine mesh sieve to ensure no large lumps remain). Alternatively, blitz it with a stick blender.
- Place the flour mixture on a large cutting board or a cut-proof kitchen surface. Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture, and using a long-bladed knife, chop the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Scatter the farmer's cheese on top, and chop and cut the mixture to incorporate.
- Add the sour cream and chop and cut again until it starts coming together into a dough. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more sour cream.
- Bring the dough together into a circle, kneading just enough for it to come together - don't overwork the dough. Wrap it in a large piece of plastic wrap (cling film) and roll it to flatten it further - it will make it easier to roll out thinly later. Place it in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
- When ready to shape the cookies, beat an egg in a small bowl.
- In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
- At this point, preheat the oven to 220°C (420°F). Line a couple of large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 2-4 portions (this will make it more manageable to roll out). Place the portions of dough that you are not immediately using back in the fridge.
- Roll the dough out thinly (no more than ⅛ inch) on a lightly floured work surface.
- Using a 3-inch (8 cm) cookie cutter (or a thin rimmed cup or glass), stamp out the circles of dough. The scraps can be rerolled (but aim to cut the circles close to each other to avoid much rerolling - these cookies will be tougher).
- Brush each circle with a little beaten egg. Scatter cinnamon sugar on top of the egg-washed side of the circle, then fold it in half. Brush the surface with egg and sprinkle more cinnamon sugar. Then fold it over again. You should now have a folded triangle (ish).
- Brush the top of the cookie with more egg and sprinkle a little more cinnamon sugar.
- As you go, arrange the farmer's cheese cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them out (about 1.5 inches apart).
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up slightly.
- TIP: It is best to keep the dough cold before it goes into the oven - this creates the flakiest cookies. We, therefore, recommend baking the prepared cookies whilst you roll out the other portion of the dough and shape the next batch of cookies.
- Once baked, place them on a wire rack to cool down!