A tender Romanian cheese pie with thin pastry, fresh cow’s cheese, raisins, lemon and vanilla, baked in a tray.
Plăcintă cu brânză (Romanian Sweet Cheese Pie)Thin butter-brushed pastry encloses a lightly sweet filling of fresh cow’s cheese, raisins, vanilla and lemon in this tray-baked Romanian home-style pie.
Plăcintă cu brânză is a broad Romanian name for a cheese-filled pie, not a single fixed shape or formula. Depending on the household and region, the dough may be leavened or unleavened, the sheets may be stacked, rolled or folded, and the filling may be sweet or savory. This recipe takes a simple sweet, tray-baked route: two thin sheets of tender dough hold a fresh cow’s-cheese filling with eggs, a modest amount of sugar, raisins, vanilla and lemon. It is baked as one large pie and cut into squares after cooling.
Romanian sources describe several distinct cheese pastries under related names. Radio România Internațional records a sweet cheese-and-raisin pie associated with a Muntenian household custom before the Easter fast, and describes both sheeted cheese pies and the separate coiled Dobrogea form. A 1936 recipe reproduced by Agerpres also documents thin dough sheets with butter between them and a sweet cheese filling. These examples show a family of preparations; they do not establish one recipe as universal across Romania. The version here is a practical home formula rather than a reconstruction of either historical recipe.
The pastry is made from flour, warm milk, egg, salt and melted butter. It is an unleavened dough: knead it briefly, then rest it before rolling rather than waiting for it to rise. That pause relaxes the dough, making it easier to stretch into sheets without tearing or shrinking back. The base sheet should reach just up the sides of the tray to hold the filling, while the top sheet needs only to cover it and meet the edges. A thin brush of butter between the layers helps the pastry bake with a delicate, lightly crisp separation.
Fresh cow’s cheese gives the filling its mild dairy flavor and soft, set texture. Choose a full-fat unsalted cheese with a fine curd; the Romanian term brânză de vaci can refer to fresh cow’s cheese, but products vary in moisture and acidity. If whey pools around the cheese, drain it in the refrigerator before mixing. Semolina absorbs a modest amount of moisture and helps the center hold together after baking. It should not be used to rescue cheese that is visibly watery, since excess liquid can make the bottom pastry damp.
Eggs bind the cheese and help the filling set as it bakes. Sugar sweetens the cheese without turning the pie into a custard dessert, while raisins provide occasional concentrated sweetness. Vanilla rounds out the dairy flavor, and lemon zest adds a fresh note that keeps the filling from tasting heavy. If the raisins are dry, soak them briefly in warm water, then drain and pat them dry; wet raisins can add excess moisture to the filling.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, using only enough flour to prevent sticking. Too much flour can make the pastry tough and dry. If the sheet springs back, cover it and let it rest for a few minutes before continuing. Keep the bottom sheet thin but intact, then spread the filling evenly without pressing it down hard. Seal the edges loosely rather than stretching the top sheet tight; the pastry needs room to settle as the filling warms in the oven.
Bake until the top is deeply golden and the edges look dry, then check the center of the egg-and-cheese filling with a clean thermometer. It must reach 71 °C (160 °F). If the top browns early, loosely cover the tray with foil while the center finishes. The pie will still feel soft when it first leaves the oven. Let it cool completely so the filling firms and the pastry can be cut without collapsing; do not use crust color as a substitute for the temperature check.
Cut the cooled pie into squares and serve it at room temperature or gently warmed. The crisp upper pastry, tender bottom layer and lightly sweet cheese center make it suitable for a snack, a simple dessert or part of a larger table. Keep leftovers covered in a shallow container and refrigerate them within 2 hours. Store at or below 4 °C (40 °F) and use within 3–4 days. Warm individual portions until steaming hot, or serve them chilled if you prefer a firmer filling.
Whisk the warm milk, egg and salt in a large bowl. Add the flour and melted butter, then mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic; it should feel soft but not sticky. Cover and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough rolls without springing back.
If the cheese looks wet, drain it in a fine sieve in the refrigerator before mixing. Combine the cheese, two eggs, sugar, semolina, raisins, vanilla and lemon zest. Stir until evenly mixed without beating in extra air. The filling should mound softly on a spoon rather than pour. Keep it chilled if the dough needs more time to rest.
Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and lightly butter a 30 × 20 cm shallow tray. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger for the base. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece into a thin sheet and line the tray, letting it reach just up the sides. Brush with a little melted butter. Spoon in the filling and level it. Roll the second piece to fit, lay it over the filling, tuck the edges under and prick the top lightly with a fork. Brush with beaten egg and a little of the remaining butter.
Bake on the center rack at 180 °C (350 °F) for 40–50 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the edges look dry and crisp. Insert a clean digital thermometer into the center of the filling without touching the tray; the egg-based center must reach 71 °C (160 °F). If the top browns before the center is ready, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. Set the tray on a wire rack and cool the pie completely, at least 1 hour, before cutting; cooling time is additional.
Let the pie cool fully in the tray so the cheese filling firms and the layers cut cleanly. Slice into 12 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve at room temperature or gently warmed. The top pastry should be crisp while the center stays soft and lightly sweet. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours; keep at or below 4 °C (40 °F) and use within 3–4 days. Reheat individual portions until steaming hot.
The cheese should be moist but not wet. Drain visible whey in the refrigerator before mixing so the bottom pastry can bake through.
A short rest relaxes the dough and makes each sheet easier to roll thinly without tearing.
A light dusting prevents sticking. Excess flour can make the pastry dry and tough.
The filling firms as it cools. Cutting while hot can make the center slump and tear the delicate layers.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The bottom pastry is damp | Drain the cheese more thoroughly, keep the filling level rather than overly thick, and bake until the edges are dry and golden. Do not add extra semolina to compensate for very wet cheese. |
| The dough keeps shrinking as it is rolled | Cover it and let it rest for 5–10 minutes, then roll again with light pressure. Avoid adding a lot of flour. |
| The top browns before the center reaches temperature | Cover loosely with foil and continue baking. Check the center with a clean thermometer; it must reach 71 °C (160 °F). |
| Original ingredient | Practical substitute | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh cow’s cheese | Well-drained full-fat farmer’s cheese | Choose a mild, unsalted cheese with a similar fine curd. Drain it in the refrigerator if whey is visible; the flavor may be slightly tangier. |
| Raisins | Dried cranberries | Use the same weight and chop large berries. The filling will taste tarter than the raisin version. |
The pie contains fresh cheese and eggs, so refrigerate it promptly after cooling. The filling firms as it chills.
After cooling, place the pie or its squares in a shallow covered container within 2 hours. Keep at or below 4 °C (40 °F) and use within 3–4 days.
Warm individual squares in a low oven or microwave until steaming hot. Avoid repeatedly warming and cooling the whole tray.
It is a Romanian cheese pie. The name covers different regional and household forms; this recipe is a sweet, tray-baked pie with two pastry sheets and a fresh-cheese filling.
Yes, thin ready-made sheets can be used, but they produce a crisper, more delicate pastry than this simple milk-and-egg dough. Brush the layers lightly with melted butter and keep the filling amount unchanged.
Insert a clean food thermometer into the center of the filling without touching the tray. It must reach 71 °C (160 °F); a golden top alone is not a reliable safety check.
Yes. Bake it a day ahead, cool completely and refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours. Keep at or below 4 °C (40 °F) and use within 3–4 days.
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