These Ukranian fresh cheese pancakes are a delight. I ’ve often thought that if I ever ran a B&B, I would always have these on the menu since they are such a crowd-pleaser. The jam and fruit toppings can be easily customized, making them perfect for almost any guest.
Makes 12 pancakes, serves 6
Prep time: Under 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes per batch
14 oz (400 g) farmers’ cheese or dry ricotta cheese (see note)
3 large eggs
¾ cup (110 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dredging the pancakes
3 Tbsp (36 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp fine salt
Butter, for cooking
Fresh berries, jam or sweetened yogurt, for serving
- In a mixing bowl, stir the cheese well to soften it. Stir in the eggs until well combined, followed by the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. The batter will be thick but soft.
- Heat a large non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat. Fill a pie plate or other shallow dish with flour for dredging the pancakes before cooking.
- Use a large mechanical scoop or a serving spoon to portion pancakes about ⅓ cup (80 mL) by volume, and drop a few of them into the dish of flour. Roll the portions of batter gently in the flour to coat.
- Melt a little butter into the preheated pan and swirl it around to coat the pan. Lift a few pancake portions from the flour, shaking off any excess, and gently flatten each into a circle about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across and just under 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Drop the pancakes into the pan, leaving a generous amount of space between them to make them easier to flip. Cook the pancakes for about 5 minutes on the first side, until the bottoms are golden brown (check by lifting one up) and you see the pancakes rise (from the eggs and baking powder). Carefully flip the pancakes over and cook another 3 minutes, until browned like the first side. Transfer the pancakes to a plate and repeat with any remaining batter. You can hold the pancakes warm, uncovered, in a 300°F (150°C) oven while you finish cooking.
- Serve the syrniki with fresh berries, a dollop of jam (apricot is my favourite) and a bit of yogurt.
Notes:The syrniki will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Don’t have access to farmers’ cheese or dry ricotta cheese (that is, the ricotta that’s sold wrapped in paper rather than the common, creamy ricotta sold in tubs)? I often don’t either, so I’ve tested this recipe using creamy ricotta cheese instead, and it works deliciously well. The caveat is that you have to drain the creamy ricotta overnight in the fridge. To do so, place a colander lined with cheesecloth or a fine strainer over a bowl. Spoon a full 1 lb (450 g) tub of ricotta into the strainer, loosely cover and place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, you’ll have 14 oz (400 g) of fresh cheese of the right consistency.
