Gužvara or Wrinkly Cheese Pie
These are the top reasons we believe you'll love this Cheese Pie recipe.
- the topping is full of cheese, sour cream, and yogurt
- the filo pastry is juicy inside and beautifully crunchy outside
- it takes less than one hour to make it
- kids and adults love it
- it keeps well, and you can freeze it, too
- feel free to use store-bought filo pastry or homemade from scratch
Essential ingredients
In this Wrinkly Cheese Pie, you can find easily accessible ingredients. Every ingredient plays a vital role in the recipe. You can find the whole recipe below. Here, we share a bit more information about the ingredients and substitutes.
Phyllo dough - we always buy fresh phyllo dough sheets. If you have the time, you can always make homemade phyllo dough.
Farmer's cheese - in Slovenia, we use skuta, but farmer's cheese or ricotta will work great.
Yogurt - use full-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt.
Sour cream - use your favorite sour cream. Optionally, you can substitute half of the sour cream with kajmak.
In traditional recipes, we will find lard, but we adore butter. We always use unsalted butter; however, feel free to use vegetable oil or lard.
Eggs - eggs tie everything together and are essential.
Storing and freezing
There are two ways to store the Wrinkly Cheese Pie (Guzvara).
Keep the chilled homemade Wrinkly Cheese Pie in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before serving, reheat in the oven or microwave.
Feel free to freeze the Wrinkly Cheese Pie too. Place it in a freezer-friendly container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature (or in the fridge overnight). Before serving, reheat in the oven or microwave.
How to make Wrinkly Cheese Pie at home (video)
Check this quick recipe for the Wrinkly Cheese Pie (Guzvara) at home.
Next, make these recipes with phyllo dough
- Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
- Slovenian Cheese Dumplings (Štruklji)
- Easy Vegetable Samosa
METHOD
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filling
First, make the filling. In a large bowl, stir to combine farmer's cheese, sour cream, yogurt, sparkling water, eggs, baking powder, salt, and melted (room temperature) butter. Using a whisk, beat to combine into a smooth texture.
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dough and preparation
Grab a 25 cm x 30 cm x 7 cm (10-inch x 12-inch x 3-inch) baking dish. Take the phyllo sheets from the packaging and separate the sheets. First, we will need two sheets. Arrange them horizontally over your deep baking dish. There should be some overhang of the dough. Then, place another sheet of dough over the sheets in the deep baking dish. This time, place the sheet vertically. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 210 °C / 410 °F.
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Wrinkly Cheese Pie (Guzvara)
Set one sheet of phyllo dough aside for later, and wrinkle the rest. Dip the wrinkled dough in the cheese mixture until it is well covered. Place in the prepared baking dish. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. Arrange the leftover cheese mixture on top. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on top and tuck the edges of the dough to cover the filling.
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topping
Make the topping. In a bowl, stir an egg, milk, and melted (room temperature) butter with a whisk to get a smooth topping.
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bake and serve
Pour the topping over the Wrinkly Cheese Pie (Guzvara). Spread evenly with a spatula and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes at 210 °C / 410 °F. When the pie bakes, take it from the oven, cool it to room temperature, and then serve.
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