Latvian chocolate-coated curd snack bars (Biezpiena sieriņš)

1. Press the curd cheese through a sieve or purée it completely smooth with a stick blender – that's the secret of the silky texture.

2. Beat the soft butter with the sugar and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod until fluffy, then add the curd cheese and work into a smooth cream; if it's too soft, chill it for 20 minutes.

3. With wet hands shape 12 finger-thick bars about 7 cm long, place on a tray lined with baking paper and freeze for 30 minutes to firm up (this makes them easier to coat).

4. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt slowly over steam; let it cool slightly.

5. Spear the bars one at a time on a fork, dip them into the chocolate, let the excess drip off and put them back on the baking paper; the chocolate sets quickly on the cold filling.

6. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve cold; they keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Tip: Sieriņš is the favourite snack of Baltic children – a close cousin of the Hungarian Túró Rudi; anyone who has been to Riga will have seen them in dozens of flavours in the shop fridges.