Montreal Cheese Bagels

Photo: flickr user mtl2tky

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into chunks

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 pound dry cottage cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons sugar may be tripled

1 pch salt

squirt lemon juice

1 tablespoon flour

Preparation

For dough, place flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in food processor. Pulse to blend. Add butter chunks and pulse to cut fat into flour. Add sour cream and egg and process to form a soft dough. Wrap dough and chill about 20 minutes.

For filling, blend ingredients and chill for ten minutes.

To form cheese bagels, divide dough in half. Roll out, on a lightly floured board to an oblong 1/4 inch thick. Place half of filling along one edge. Roll halfway, then cut the roll you have formed away from the remaining body of the dough. Repeat. Cut into 8 inch lengths and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Curve rolls into horse shoe shapes, pinching ends together to seal a bit.

Brush (if desired) with beaten egg and sprinkle very lightly with fine sugar.

Bake at 350 F. for about 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes about a dozen bagels. Freezes well. Can be made in miniature form. Serve hot with sour cream. [338 cals, 17g fat (45%%cff)]

PANTRY: dry cottage cheese (in U.S.) also known as hoop or baker's cheese or no-curd, dry cottage cheese

Notes: This dough is flaky and delicate. If you are in a hurry, substitute store-bought puff pasty dough.

This recipe is similar to the one by Montreal Jewish cooking maven and author, Norene Gilletz. Her book, Second Helpings is a part of many kitchen librairies in these parts.