Pillowy soft, fluffy and slightly sweet, these little cheese pancakes are a real treat. Syrniki pancakes are of Russian origin and usually eaten for breakfast, accompanied with sour cream or fruits. They are delightful to look at, and relatively easy to make.
Preparing the syrniki ‘pancake mix’
In a mixing bowl, combine the farmer’s cheese, egg, sugar and 2 tbsp of flour and mix well with a fork. You can gently knead the mixture by pressing down and mixing in with the fork, till it is well combined and starts to stick together.
The texture should be relatively firm but still a little sticky.
Rolling into little balls
On a flat plate, spread out 1 tablespoon of flour. We will be rolling the cheese mixture balls in this so ensure that the plate is wide.
Scoop one spoonful of the cheese mixture into your palm and roll gently into a ball. Coat this ball by rolling it around in the flour and set aside. Depending on the size of each ball, you should be able to make 8-10 balls.
You may need to wash your hands with water if you are making a big batch as some of the cheese mixture will start sticking to your palms.
Frying the Syrniki
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and coat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is pan is hot, place the balls one by one and gently flatten them using the back of a spoon till they are about half an inch thick. (I personally use the back of my fingers but the preference is yours!)
Cook till they are golden brown for 1-2 minutes before flipping them over carefully and cooking for another 1-2 minutes. You should be able to slide them around the pan easily when cooked as the outer layer will be slightly crispy.
Once they are ready, serve immediately with honey, fruits or sour cream, and enjoy!
Syrniki – Russian Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients
- 450 g tvorog/ farmer's cheese (alternatively use well drained ricotta cheese)
- 1 small egg
- 3 tbsp flour (1 tbsp is for coating)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
To serve with
- 1 cup berries/ mango/ fruit (optional)
- 4 tbsp sour cream (optional)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the farmer's cheese, egg, sugar and 2 tbsp of flour and mix well with a fork. Press down on the mixture till it is well combined and starts to stick together.
- On a flat plate, spread out 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Scoop one spoonful of the cheese mixture into your palm and roll gently into a ball. Coat this ball by rolling it around in the flour and set aside. Depending on the size of each ball, you should be able to make 8-10 balls.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and coat with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Once the oil is pan is hot, place the balls one by one and gently flatten them using the back of a spoon.
- Cook till they are golden brown for 1-2 minutes before flipping them over carefully and cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
- Once they are ready, serve immediately with fruits or sour cream, and enjoy!