Sweden · 30 min hands-on · 60 min waiting · Vegetarian · Main course · For confident cooks
Västerbottenpaj
In German: Västerbotten-Käsekuchen · In English: Västerbotten cheese pie
For 6 servings · US units
Shortcrust tart with sharp Västerbotten cheese and a soft, creamy egg filling
A crumbly pastry case, a filling of eggs, heavy cream and milk, and a generous amount of sharp Västerbotten cheese: this Nordic tart needs nothing more. It is good warm or at room temperature, any time of year, and a spoonful of crème fraîche on the side turns a slice into a proper meal.
Ingredients
- 7 ozwheat flourfor the shortcrust, plus extra for rolling
- 4⅔ ozbuttercold, cubed, for the dough
- 2 tbspwaterice-cold, for the dough
- 3eggfor the filling
- 1 cupcreamfor the filling
- ½ cupmilkfor the filling
- 9⅔ ozcheesegrated; substitute sharp cheddar or aged Gruyère
- ½ tspsaltfor dough and filling
- pepperfreshly ground, black or white
- crème fraîcheto serve, or sour cream (optional)
Method
- Rub the flour, part of the salt and the cold butter together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs, or pulse briefly in a food processor.
- Add the ice-cold water and quickly bring everything together into a smooth dough, without kneading it for long.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, line a tart pan about 24 cm (9½ in) across, and prick the base all over with a fork. Chill the lined pan for about 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to about 390 °F (400 °F). Blind-bake the pastry case for about 10 minutes, lined with parchment and weighed down if needed so it stays flat.
- Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, milk, the remaining salt and freshly ground pepper together, then stir in the grated Västerbotten cheese.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked case and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set and golden brown.
- Let the Västerbottenpaj cool briefly and serve it warm or at room temperature, with crème fraîche or sour cream if you like.
Tips and variations
If you can't find Västerbotten cheese, use cheddar, Gruyère or Appenzeller instead. For a more filling version, lay slices of boiled potato under the filling and serve a shrimp and apple salad with yogurt, chives and lemon alongside. Pre-cooked vegetables of your choice also work on the base; in that case season the filling with nutmeg, scatter half the cheese over the top and skip the blind-baking. Radishes with their greens and spinach make the tart fresher, while a filling made with heavy cream only and no milk makes it richer. It is at its best lukewarm with a spoonful of crème fraîche.
Allergens
Contains: Eggs, Cereals containing gluten, Milk (including lactose)
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
