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Dry Cottage Cheese Perishky with Rhubarb


Dry Cottage Cheese makes a very light pastry which can be used for Perishky or tart shells. 


Cottage Cheese Pastry
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups dry cottage cheese
  • 1 cup cold butter
  1. Combine the flour and the baking powder in your food processor or a large bowl.
  2. Add the dry cottage cheese and the finely cubed butter.
  3. Pulse in the food processor until finely crumbed .. .(when I looked at it I really didn't think it would stick together. . but I squeezed a tablespoon of crumbs and found that it held together well. If you are mixing without a food processor . . use a pastry blender or. . .I might even try the whisk on a kitchen machine. . .slowly. . don't make a mess. . . "
  4. Dump it out onto the counter and squeeze into a flat rectangular disk wrap in cling film and refrigerate while you prepare your fruit.
Rhubarb Filling
  • 5 cups finely chopped rhubarb
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca
  1. Mix together the rhubarb, sugar and tapioca.


  1. Once you have the dough chilled, Roll out a third at a time onto a floured counter top. Roll it as thin as for pie dough.
  2.  Roll it into a rectangle approximately 10 X 13. Cut the edges to make it straight leaving you with a 9 X 12 inch rectangle. 
  3. Cut into 3 inch squares. To make the perishky and put a heaping teaspoon of rhubarb onto the square and fold together the opposite corners and pinch together. Bring up one of the remaining corners and pinch and then the last one and seal with your fingertips. Arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. You may also make a tart which I did with one of my third part portions of dough or you can simply roll the dough into a long rectangle, put it onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and put your filling onto the center, bringing up your sides and pinch them shut.
  5. Depending on how long it takes you to put together your pastries, here will be accumulated juice at the bottom of your rhubarb filling bowl so use a slotted spoon.  
  6. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes for the perishky and about 30 minutes for a small tart. The perishky will be nicely browned with they are baked through.

19 comments:

  1. MMMMMM, rhubarb! I so love rhubarb. I have a May birthday and I usually have rhubarb pie instead of birthday cake. These look scrumptious! I have to say I will never make them because I detest any recipe that calls for me to roll out dough. I make my husband roll out the pie crusts!

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  2. These perishky look delicious, Lovella! I like the idea of using dry cottage cheese in the dough..good combo with the rhubarb.
    I shall be making these when my rhubarb is ready!

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  3. Looks delish! I'd love to try making it, but what is "dry cottage cheese"?

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  4. Everything is coming up rhubarb these days...and this looks most yummy. Cottage cheese in the pastry sounds good (I was happy to see it wasn't part of the filling!)

    Your food photos are always the best!

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  5. These look so good! Thanks for all the photos...

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  6. these look really good Lovella but also they look like a lot of work and time.

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  7. How pretty! Love your collage, too! I think I will make some collages this afternoon..for fun! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe!

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  8. I tried to grab one through the screen...shoot! that doesn't work. I will put my hands to work and make these this weekend perhaps. Dry curd cottage cheese...I just might also make perogies. I love the tart idea. Kathy

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  9. Oh Lovella...you and I must have come across this same recipe in our beloved Mennonite Treasury Books at the same time. I too am interested in making this pastry and bookmarked it for this weekend. But here it is with the pictures...how wonderful!

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  10. My husband is a lover of all things rhubarb -- maybe if he's a good boy I'll make him some. Tell me, though, what is dry cottage cheese -- is it just a really thick cottage cheese or is it actually called dry cottage cheese?

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  11. For all you who have asked about dry cottage cheese. I think it is more readily available in Canada. . but I looked it up in google and it seems that if you take regular cottage cheese and rinse off the cream in a colander. . and then let it dry you have dry cottage cheese. It is just cottage cheese with no creaminess to it. . just dry.

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  12. I was happy to see that the cottage cheese goes into the pastry, not the filling. I can understand that this would make a nice flaky pastry because I have a similar pastry recipe with cream cheese that is good. Your pictures and explanations are great!

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  13. What a wonderful blog! I love to cook and love finding new recipes. I am not as good at getting around to other peoples blogs as Chasity is. Thanks for sharing and thanks for your sweet comments. Have a lovely day! Debbie

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  14. I'm a Canadian Menno currently living the US. There's no dry cottage cheese in my local grocery store, but there is something called farmer's cheese.

    I used the farmer's cheese to make paska spread this Easter and it worked just the same as dry cottage cheese. I think it's a good substitute.

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  15. i've never been able to find dry cottage cheese since moving to the US, so i'm glad for the tips on substitutes. the sad thing for me is i've never once seen rhubarb anywhere near where i live! i miss it SO much.

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  16. Hi Lovella!, Aron Enns here just checking out some of my secret recipes. I see my super high chiffon cake is safe. Actually we argue on how many eggs to use and who's recipe it is....but the victor has the tallest cake hopefully overflowing the top. remember it cools upside down. Take care and dont chew the pineapple :)

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  17. Hi Lovella!, Aron Enns here just checking out some of my secret recipes. I see my super high chiffon cake is safe. Actually we argue on how many eggs to use and who's recipe it is....but the victor has the tallest cake hopefully overflowing the top. remember it cools upside down. Take care and dont chew the pineapple :)

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  18. I have tried several of your recipes (all keepers) but I love this one!! I even made a few with blueberries.

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  19. cottage cheese perogies with rhubarb sauce is thebest reason for marrying into a mennonite family.
    YUM.

    Thanks for the recipe. Now I can make it at home :)

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