Blintz Souffle I

¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

⅓ cup white sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (8 ounce) container cottage cheese

¼ cup sour cream

5 eggs, at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup heavy cream

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (16 ounce) package cottage cheese

⅓ cup white sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup sour cream

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup orange juice

3 tablespoons cornstarch

¾ cup water

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup white sugar

1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Beat butter with 1/3 cup sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until well combined. In a third bowl, beat 8 ounces of cottage cheese with 1/4 cup sour cream, 5 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and the heavy cream until the mixture is smooth. Alternate adding flour mixture and cottage cheese mixture with the creamed sugar and butter to make a fluffy batter.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, and add 16 ounce container of cottage cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to medium, and beat until very smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Place half the batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and spread the filling over it in an even layer. Spread the rest of the batter over the cheese layer.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the dish comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the oven, open the door, and let the casserole cool in the oven for about 5 minutes before removing.

Make a sauce by whisking together the orange juice, cornstarch, water, 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the mixture boils. Stir in the strawberries, cover, reduce heat, and let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are cooked and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Spoon sauce over casserole to serve.