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Flashback Friday / Cottage Cheese Rolls

As part of Flashback Friday I have used this pastry recipe and baked up some savory appetizers instead of this sweet version. Anyway you make it, sweet or savory, this is a great recipe. Scroll all the way down to see what I have added. Baking directions remain the same. 



I have been making these tasty rolls for almost 30 years now. My cousin Anne has shared the recipe with many of us. It can served on a tray of dainties glazed with a thin layer of icing, or with out the glaze and serve them alongside a bowl of soup and salad. Whether you choose to serve them sweet or savory, they are delicious! A very quick and easy to make recipe that is very popular among our circles and in our churches, but perhaps for some of you it is a new recipe. This recipe can be made ahead and frozen before you bake it guaranteeing  freshly baked warm rolls.



Dough
  • 2 cups of unbleached flour
  • 1 1/2 cups of creamed cottage cheese (1% works fine too)
  • 1 cup butter or hard margarine
  • pinch of salt optional
  1. With a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour and salt if using.
  2. Add the cottage cheese and knead into a ball of dough just comes together like you would for biscuits.
  3. Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
  4. Chill the dough for a few hours as this dough is very soft and sticky if you don't
  5. Roll each ball into a 10-12" circle. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
  6. Starting at the wide end roll towards the narrow.
  7. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze.
  8. Take them out of the freezer. Preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 20-30 minutes (no need to thaw them first). When they get golden brown flecks they are done. So watch your oven carefully. Each oven bakes slightly different hence the time difference.
  9. Serve them plain or glazed.
Glaze
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk 
  1. Mix these ingredients together and lightly brush over warm rolls.
Try making the dough and roll little sausages in the pastry for a tasty treat. 





Or how about using the pastry for making some Turnovers with your choice of filling. These are Tuna turnovers.....very tasty. 


Check out Julie's Gluten Free version here.

41 comments:

  1. These rolls look delicious! Can you explain what creamed cottage cheese means? Thanks! I'm definately gonna try these!

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  2. Cottage cheese comes in a creamed and dry curd version. Use the 1 or 2% version, not the dry curd.

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  3. Those of us who were in Winnipeg for book signings were invited to Charlotte's cousins for lunch and she served these for dessert. They were so delicious. Char, I was given this recipe from my friend Alice. She served them with soup. I'm glad to see this recipe documented. I like the idea of having them available in the freezer to bake fresh.

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  4. These are unfamiliar to me too. Can't wait to try making these - they look delicious! Amazing that there is no baking soda or yeast needed! Baking them fresh from the freezer really appeals to me.

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  5. I live in a country where cottage cheese is not available. Is there a suitable substitute, or should I just save this recipe for when I'm visiting Canada?

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    1. I have never used another cheese, and I don't know what is available where you live. Do you have ricotta or farmers cheese. I am sure you will be able to find a suitable substitute. Please let us know what you tried if you make them.

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    2. When I lived overseas, we used to substitute cottage cheese with tofu! It worked for almost everything - haven't tried it with these rolls, but you could give it a shot!

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  6. My mom was given this recipe years ago but we have always made them tiny, not 'roll' sized at all. Our recipe is exactly the same except where you said how mane triangles to cut the 4 equal parts of dough into. I just cut them into many small triangles. I have stopped trying to make them the same size too. People love these when I have served them on a goody tray... there are usually none left. I will have to try making them larger and see how we like them that way.

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  7. Have made these for years but made them small.Iced with a bit of chocolate icing. Delicious.

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  8. Can you use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese? I have made these (or something similar - recipe from friend Janny) but wondered about substituting cheese.

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    1. I have never tried, but if you do let us know how it turns out for you with ricotta cheese.

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  9. Aunt Anne and Aunt Kathy Hiebert gave me this recipe in Niverville, Manitoba in the 80's. They are a real family treat. I have always baked them immediately and poured the icing glaze over them when they are warm. Didn't know about the freezing idea! Thanks! Sylvia Willcox

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  10. This recipe will surely become a "staple" in my house--I can just taste them, even before I make them. Thanks Charlotte--your recipes always meet the benchmark for me.

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    1. Herb, thank you for the kind words. If this becomes a staple in your home, you might want to try them sprinkled with garlic powder and parley before rolling them up to bake. It taste really good with soup.

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  11. I used to make these with my favourite aunt who lived in Chilliwack, BC and lost the recipe. Thank you so much for posting it. I can now pass it on to my children. God Bless you all.

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  12. Would you be able to post a "gluten-free" version? My 11 year old son would appreciate it. :)

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    1. Hi Anonymous .. I was wanting to try these gluten-free - haven't done it yet.. but while I was going to use my own flour mix ... the easiest would be to buy a commercial bread and bun mix (like Kinnikinnick) and substitute equal amount of the mix for the flour in Charlotte's recipe.

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  13. Thank you Julie! I do have a wheat flour substitute that I purchased at Costco - here's hoping it works the same in the recipe. Can't wait to try these!

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  14. So these have no leavening agent whatsoever?

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  15. I got a recipe from a German lady in Brazil which sounds the same. The only difference is that she said to use equal weights of flour, cottage cheese and butter. Since I don't have a proper scale, this recipe suits me fine! Thanks!

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  16. These are great. Try adding lemon juice to the icing. Makes a really nice change

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  17. I've made these for years and they are a family favourite! I add a little vanilla to the icing! So yummy! Judy

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  18. Can you bake these directly after making them or do you have to freeze them?

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    1. You can bake them immediately after you make them as well. Especially if you want to eat them all right away. The suggestion to freezing them before baking them is because the taste very good eaten fresh. Warm or room temperature.

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  19. When you say creamed cottage cheese, what does that mean. I see the comment and answer where you say not the dry curd. Do you mean like just regular cottage cheese? That's kind of lumpy but is wet? Sorry, but these rolls sound so good and easy and I'd love to try them!!

    Thanks

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    1. Yes, that is right, just the regular cottage cheese. No need to apologize. It is better to make sure you understand correctly. There is no harm in asking good questions. I hope they turn out beautifully for you.

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  20. If bleached flour is the flour you have on hand, you can certainly use that.

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  21. how does the dough rise when there is no yeast?

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    1. This isn't like a yeast roll at all. It is denser and flakey.

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  22. Sorry, but I tried these. After half a day in the fridge, it was still a gooey, glumpy mess and impossible to roll, so I flattened small balls of the dough with extra flour. When they began to brown after 20 or so minutes, I removed them from the oven. The centres were still quite raw. Anything missing in the ingredients or instructions? Thanks. Irene

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    1. That must be so disappointing and frustrating. I don't know what to tell you. If you followed the recipe exactly, then it is a mystery to me. I know that I on occasion have had to use more flour when I am rolling the dough out, it depends on how humid the day is. Your oven may need more baking time than mine too. Each oven can be slightly different and vary the cooking time slightly as well.

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    2. I've been using the exact same recipe for many year and it always works out, but I usually chill my dough in the fridge overnight, for a good 12 or more hours. Maybe that would help??

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  23. Loved them. Rolled them in cinnamon sugar and made cinnamon sticks-yum

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  24. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these and they are an absolute favorite in my family!!! I blogged the exact same recipe on my site a few years ago - http://www.echoinghim.com/blog/2010/03/cottage-cheese-rolls/ - with the slight variation of adding cinnamon to the icing, which is probably the one thing that makes them so great! :) We usually eat them fresh from the oven with thin, dripping icing that is gooey and messy and oh-so-good! :)

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  25. Making this right now for a post-American Thanksgiving part. Question: how much should I knead it? Just till combined and smoothish (1-2 minutes by hand), or longer and intense like bread (7-9 min)?

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    1. Betsy, you would treat this like pastry not like bread. Knead it until it just comes together. If you work it too much the dough will be tough. Hope you enjoy them.

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  26. Is the bake time the same if you don't cook from frozen? These sound lovely and can't wait to try them.

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  27. I have made these many times for coffee and cookies after mass. I add a touch of maple to the icing. Everybody loves them.

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