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a piece of vargabeles dessert with filo, raisins and noodles on a plate.
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5 from 3 votes

Vargabeles - Hungarian Sweet Noodles

Vargabeles or Hungarian sweet noodle pie made with filo pastry, cheese, and raisins, you can serve it as a dessert or sweet main meal.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: Hungarian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 286kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • 75 g/ 2.7 oz thin noodles Note 1
  • 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons sugar separated (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 200 g/ 7 oz/ about ¾ cup smetana or crème fraiche
  • 500 g/ 1.1 lb/ 2 ½ cups quark 20% fat
  • 50 g/ 1.8 oz/ ⅓ cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs
  • 2-3 sheets yufka pastry depending on size (Note 2)
  • 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter for brushing the pastry layers
  • icing sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a small square baking dish of about 20 cm/ 8 inch.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package's instructions. Drain well, return to the pan and stir in the butter.
  • Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.
  • In another bowl beat together the egg yolks and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Add the vanilla extract, the smetana or crème fraiche, and the quark. Stir well, then add the raisins, lemon zest, cornstarch, and dried breadcrumbs.
  • Carefully fold the noodles into this mixture. Fold in the egg whites as well. Taste and see if you need more sugar.
  • Cut the pastry sheets to fit the baking dish. If using yufka pastry place one sheet of pastry into the prepared baking dish. Brush with some of the oil or melted butter and cover with another pastry sheet. Repeat with the 3rd yufka sheet.
  • If using filo pastry, follow the same procedure but layer 5 filo pastry sheets instead of 3.
  • If using puff pastry, one layer will suffice. Don't brush the puff pastry with oil or butter.
  • Place the filling over the pastry, level nicely, and build the upper pastry layer the same way you did it before.
  • Brush the top of the pastry with some oil or butter as well and bake the pie for about 45 minutes or until golden and set.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature and dust the pie with icing sugar if you wish. The pie can be reheated in the oven.

Notes

  1. The so-called “soup” noodles, or vermicelli made of wheat, not rice vermicelli.
  2. Filo pastry can be used instead. In this case, form the bottom and the upper layer of pastry by stapling 5 filo sheets for each layer.
    Puff pastry can also be used. In this case, you will only need one sheet of puff pastry for the bottom layer and one for the upper layer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 142mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g