Simple, delicious, nutritious and versatile – these are Ukrainian syrniki, which is perhaps best translated as “little cheesecakes”. When her life was still normal, Anastasia always liked to make them for her husband. Now her little son is happy – and her friends.
If my husband knew that Syrniki was coming, then he was guaranteed to come home from work earlier that day. I daresay this is his favorite food. Whenever I bought cottage cheese, he asked me if I made syrniki, small cheese cakes. Since my husband doesn’t eat sugar, I prepare the syrniki without sugar. However, since my little son loves sugar, I use a simple trick to sweeten it when needed: I pour a little syrup or chocolate sauce over it, very simple.
preparation
1. First, prepare the dough for the cheesecakes: Shake and gently press the cottage cheese through a sieve into a bowl. If the cottage cheese is still too wet, spread it evenly on a clean tea towel and wring it out a little by rolling up the towel and squeezing it lightly.
2. Add the sugar (as I said, only if necessary), the vanillin and a little salt, stir.
3. Beat the egg and mix it into the curd mass with a fork.
4. Now add the flour. Stir until the mass is evenly soft. Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Spread some flour on the work surface. Now spread the dough out evenly. Then roll the dough into a snake, the diameter should be about five centimeters. You can use a little more flour if you like if it makes it easier to roll.
6. Cut about 1.5 cm thick slices from the rolled dough, coat each in a little flour and set the syrniki aside on the floured work surface.
7. Then place the individual pieces in a large pan that has already been heated with oil. Fry the syrniki for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
8. Cover the pan for about three minutes and let the cakes sizzle over low heat.
9. Syrniki are served hot. You can add sour cream, in the Ukraine we also love condensed milk with our cheesecakes. Or jam. Or, as I said, chocolate sauce. Or… you see, there are no limits to the imagination. Smachnoho – Bon appetit!
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