Syrniki — Ukrainian Cheese Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups cottage cheese or farmer's cheese, well drained
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup flour, plus more for shaping
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp butter, for frying
• Jam, honey, or sour cream, to serve

Method

1. Press the cheese through a sieve or mash it fine — the smoother the cheese, the more tender the pancake. Drain off any liquid; wet batter is the classic syrniki failure.
2. Mix in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt, then fold in the flour just until it holds together. It should be soft and slightly sticky, not doughy.
3. With floured hands, shape into 8 thick pucks about 2½ inches across. Dust each lightly in flour and shake off the excess.
4. Fry in butter over medium-LOW heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden. Low and slow — they need time to cook through without burning their jackets.
5. Serve warm in a pile with jam, honey, or a landslide of sour cream. They reheat beautifully, if any survive that long.