Syrniki – The  Russian Cheese Pancakes

12 Oct Syrniki – The  Russian Cheese Pancakes

Today I have the best recipe for Russian cheese pancakes or syrniki as they are called.

On the weekdays our breakfasts are more or less the same. Some bread, some egg, some sandwich but on weekends we try to make it special. My hubby some weekends is making Syrniki and we love them. Syrniki are made from cottage cheese, flour, egg, salt, sugar and raisins! Simple recipe to give it a try and so delicious to make them again.

Syrniki are not too sweet, cheesy Russian pancakes made from Farmer’s cheese (cottage cheese) . They are a traditional Russian recipe and they are served for breakfast or as a day snack. Syrniki are soft and just a little sweet on the inside. These amazing pancakes are just so delicious.

A few tips for Syrniki:

• Make sure you start with a farmer’s cheese that is dry and a little crumbly, it should be packed like a brick. If it is packed in water or has a texture similar to ricotta, you’ll need to strain it in a fine-mesh colander until it is dry and crumbly. Otherwise, you’ll need to add too much flour to the syrniki dough and it will be too doughy.
• The “batter” it will be more like dough.
• You can add raisins to the recipe, if you like raisins. Like I do!
• You’ll need to dredge the syrniki in flour after you form them but before you fry them. This will make sure that the syrniki don’t stick to the pan.
• You’ll want enough oil in the pan to coat it slightly. You can use a spoon to help you flip these pancakes easily.
• You can cook a few syrniki at a time, but don’t crowd the pan!

Ingredients

• 1 lb farmer’s cheese – see notes before getting started
• 2 eggs
• ½ + ½ cup all purpose flour – or more as needed (see notes), divided
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Optional: ½ cup raisins
• 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

The method

1. Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, crumble the farmers cheese into little pieces with a fork (make sure to strain it first if your farmer’s cheese is not crumbly! See notes).
2. Add both eggs and mix well. Add ½ cup flour (reserve ⅓ cup for step 2), sugar, and salt. Mix well, using the fork to break apart any clumps of flour or farmer’s cheese. Add raisins, if using. The ‘batter’ will be thick like dough, not like traditional pancake batter.  
3. Form the syrniki pancakes: Prepare a small bowl with about ⅓ cup flour – you will use it to dredge the pancakes. 
4. Scoop out approximately ¼ cup pancake dough at a time. (See recipe notes below).  Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small patty. Dredge the pancake with flour on both sides. Shake off the extra flour and set aside until you are ready to cook the syrniki pancakes. 
5. Cook the syrniki pancakes: In a large skillet, heat 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and gently place the flour-dredged cheese pancakes into the pan using a spatula. Cook on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until each side is golden brown. Place on a paper towel to cool.
6. Enjoy with honey, cinnamon, maple syrup!