Churro Burger

The molds give the burgers their round, stacked shape and hold the filling in place while it sets, so something with a rim works best - a muffin tin with slightly smaller circles is the closest substitute. Without removable bottoms, line the molds with a small strip of parchment so you can lift the burgers out after cooling. Baking the circles flat on a sheet will work, but the cheesecake filling tends to run out at the sides.

The recipe lists cream cheese or quark interchangeably, and the important part is that it must be unsalted - savoury cream cheese ruins the sweet filling. Low-fat quark holds more liquid, so drain it well before mixing or the filling stays loose. The tablespoon of cornstarch is there to bind exactly that moisture, so don't leave it out if you go the quark route.

This usually means the lids weren't sealed properly - press the top circles down firmly all the way around the edge so the two layers of dough bond. Overfilling is the second cause: stick to about 2 tbsp per burger so the filling has room as the laminated dough puffs up. Chilled dough seals better than warm, soft dough, so work quickly once you unroll the sheet.

You can whisk the cheesecake filling (cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg, cornstarch, lemon juice) a few hours in advance and keep it covered in the fridge, then stir it briefly before filling. Assembling them ahead is less ideal, since the moist filling softens the laminated dough and it loses its crisp puff. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar only right before they go into the oven.

Because of the egg and cream cheese filling, store them in the fridge in a covered container rather than at room temperature. The pastry softens overnight, so warm them for a few minutes in the oven at 180 °C / 350 °F to bring back the crunch - the microwave makes the dough limp. They taste best slightly warm, when the cinnamon sugar crust contrasts with the creamy centre.