Ukrainian Farmers Cheese Patties Syrnyky Food

UKRAINIAN SYRNIKI RECIPE (CHEESE PANCAKES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and salt.
• Place baking soda in a small bowl and add vinegar; give it a stir as it fizzes. Add this mixture to the cheese mix.
• With a hand-held electric mixer, mix until uniform consistency. Stir in the raisins with a spoon. It will still have some little cheese clumps.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2-3 Tbsp extra light olive oil.
• Add 1/2 cup flour to a small bowl. Place a heaping tablespoon of flat ice cream scoop of the cheese mixture into the flour. Reach into the bowl and sprinkle flour over the top of the pancake. With Well-floured hands, remove excess flour by gently transferring the pancake from one hand to another.
• Once the skillet and oil are hot, place patties directly into the skillet as you mold them. Saute until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side, flipping once during cooking.
• Transfer to a plate and serve with your favorite toppings like sour cream, fruit and powdered sugar.

SYRNIKI (Сырники / FARMER'S CHEESE PANCAKES)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks into the farmer's cheese, then stir in the sugar. Mix together 1⁄2 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and the salt and add to the cheese mixture. If the mixture seems dry, add a little heavy cream.
• Place the butter and oil over medium-low heat in a large nonstick skillet and melt the butter.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1⁄4 cup flour onto a plate and dust your hands with some flour, too. With your hands or a spoon, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the batter and set the mound on the floured plate. Use your hands to gently shape it into a round patty about 2 inches in diameter and coat it lightly on all sides with flour. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Carefully transfer the patties to the pan and cook them slowly until the undersides are browned, about 3 minutes. Turn with a spatula and cook until the other sides are browned, 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve immediately, with sour cream.

UKRAINIAN FARMER'S CHEESE PATTIES (SYRNYKY)

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the brandy or water to a boil. Take brandy or water off the heat and add the raisins and soak for 30 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels. Set aside.
• Press the farmer's cheese through a fine sieve. Combine it in a large bowl with the dried raisins, egg yolks, sour cream, 1/3 cup flour, cream of wheat, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Mix thoroughly and add salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Form the cheese mixture into twelve round flat patties about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Dust the patties on both sides with the 1 Tablespoon flour.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add as many patties as will comfortably fit and fry until deep golden on both sides.
• Repeat with the remaining patties. Serve at once. Serves 4-6.
• NOTE: Pot cheese is a medium dry cottage cheese, also known as pressed cottage cheese. If drained until dry and crumbly, it becomes farmer's cheese. Both pot cheese and farmer's cheese can be found in Eastern European grocery stores and cheese shops; many supermarkets also stock farmer's cheese.
• VANILLA SUGAR: Bury a large vanilla bean in a 2 to 3 pound container of sugar and store for at least 1 week before using.

UKRAINIAN EASTER CHEESECAKE (SYRNYK)

Steps:

• MAKE THE PASTRY. In a food processor or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and process, or cut in, until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs.
• In another bowl, mix the egg yolks, sour cream, and lemon zest. Add to the flour mixture and process or mix just until the dough holds together. Press the dough into a ball, then remove one-quarter of the dough. Wrap the two pieces separately in plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Remove the larger portion of dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll out to about 1/4 inch thick (see Note). Using the pan as a guide, cut a circle of dough and fit it into the bottom of the pan. Cut the remaining rolled out dough into 2-inch strips and "patch" them around the sides of the pan to cover, pressing them against the pan so they stay in place. Seal the edges around the bottom of the pastry. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• FOR THE FILLING, place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for a few minutes until plumped, then drain. Beat the farmer cheese, or ricotta cheese, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and juice, and the raisins.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until stiff and fold into the filling batter. Pour into the prepared pastry shell and spread evenly.
• Roll out the reserved dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 1/2 inch strips that are 9 or 10 inches long, depending on the diameter of the pan. Arrange the pastry strips on top of the filling, weaving them into a latticework pattern. Crimp the edges of the pastry together to seal.
• FOR THE TOPPING, brush with the egg white mixture and sprinkle with the sugar.
• Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, until the filling is set an the crust is pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
• Makes 12 to 16 servings.
• NOTE: An easy way to roll out a sticky dough such as this is to place it between two sheets of plastic wrap. If the dough seems too sticky or soft to lift from the plastic put it into the freezer for one or two minutes, until it stiffens, then peel of one part of the plastic wrap and lift the dough up from the second sheet of plastic.
• If you use ricotta cheese in a container then drain in a strainer until liquid drains out.
• Festive Ukrainian Cooking.

SYRNIKI

Steps:

• Strain or process quark cheese through a sieve or meat grinder to achieve a powdery consistency. Mix quark cheese, 2/3 cup flour, sugar, raisins, eggs, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl until batter is well mixed.
• Pour 1/4 cup flour into a small bowl.
• Roll batter, about 2 tablespoons per serving, into a ball and roll in flour until coated. Flatten each ball into a 2-inch patty, squaring off the edges.
• Heat about 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Fry patties, working in batches, in the hot oil until dark brown and a shell has formed, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining oil and patties.