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kolac cheese dried apricot crumble slices

Kolac: Apricot + Ricotta Crumble Slice

Servings: 12 squares
Course: Sweet Things
Cuisine: European, Jewish

Ingredients
  

Pastry
  • 150 g plain (all-purpose) flour (1 cup)
  • 40 g caster (Superfine) Sugar (2 tablespoons)
  • teaspoon salt
  • 75 g cold unsalted butter (2 1/2 oz) chopped
  • 1 egg yolk lightly beaten
  • finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
Crumble topping
  • 125 g plain flour (1 cup less 1 heaped tablespoon)
  • 125 g cold unsalted butter chopped
  • 115 g caster sugar (½ cup)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheese filling
  • 250 g drained ricotta (½ lb 2 oz)
  • 1 egg
  • 60 g caster (Superfine) Sugar scant ¼ cup
  • 20 dried apricot halves (Australian or californian (not Turkish))

Method
 

  1. Put dried apricots in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to soak for 15 minutes and drain well before using.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 C with an oven tray inside. Line a square tin with an overhang, 20 or 22 cm.
  3. To make the pastry, place the flours, sugar and salt in the food processor and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until crumbs form. Add the egg yolk, and the lemon juice and zest, and pulse until a dough is formed. Remove the dough and shape it into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  4. On a lightly floured benchtop, roll out the dough until it is the size of the tin. Place the pastry into the tin, ensuring the base is evenly covered. Bake for 15 minutes.
  5. To make the crumble topping, place the flour, butter, sugar and vanilla in the food processor and pulse until it is a rough crumbly mixture. Remove from the processor and set aside.
  6. To make the cheese filling, place the cheese, eggs and sugar in the food processor and process until it is a smooth mixture.
  7. Spread the cheese filling on the dough and place the apricots on top. Sprinkle with the crumble topping.
  8. Bake for 1 hour or until the top is light golden. Allow to cool.