Syrniki are what commonly known as fritters; fried cakes of cottage cheese mixed with flour or semolina and eggs. In Russia, this delicacy is also known as tvorozhnik. Syrniki are usually fried in vegetable oil, but some recipes require baking them in the oven. The recipe’s peculiarity is that the cottage cheese must be carefully wrung out and rubbed (for example, through a sieve or in a blender): the better it is wrung out, the less flour is required to obtain plastic dough. Ideally, only a little bit of flour is needed. Cheesecakes without flour, however, are breaded and deep-fried.

Simple cheesecakes and cheesecakes with raisins are the most popular, but tvorozhniki are also common with other additives, such as carrots, dried apricots, apples, pears, nuts, and potatoes. In rare cases, green onions or dill are also added to the dough.

On the table, cottage cheese pancakes can be served on a plate or in a pot with condensed milk, sour cream, thick fruit and berry jelly or jam. Unsweetened cheesecake options can also be served with ketchup or mayonnaise.

Most of the classic tvorozhnik recipes would suggest the dough to be fried, so it can be quite confusing when someone chooses to bake them in the oven for a healthier option instead. How much time needed for the dough to be perfectly baked? Here are some baked tvorozhnik recipes you can try:

1. Classic Tvorozhnik

You will need:

• cottage cheese – 350 g
• egg – 1 pc
• flour – 3-4 tbsp.
• sugar to taste
• vanillin – on the tip of a knife

Direction:

1. Rub the cottage cheese through a sieve, add the egg, sugar and vanillin to it.
2. Cover the baking sheet with baking paper or a silicone mat. Dampen your hands with water and form small cheesecakes from the curd mass.
3. Put the cheesecakes on the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees. Bake until cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle icing sugar with powdered sugar and serve.

2. Tvorozhnik with sour cream

You will need:

• Cottage cheese – 500 g
• Flour – 0.5 cup
• Eggs – 1 pc.
• Sugar – 2 tbsp. (to taste)
• Butter – 2 tbsp.
• Sour cream – 0.5 cup
• Salt – 1 pinch (to taste)

Direction:

1. Put the cottage cheese in a bowl, grind.
2. Then add the egg, sugar, salt, flour. Mix well.
3. Form cakes from the prepared mass.
4. Put butter in a pan without a handle. Melt. Put the prepared cheesecakes in the pan, fry them on one side over medium heat (about 1 minute).
5. In the middle of each cake, make a well. Then pour sour cream into the well (1 teaspoon with a hill).
6. Place the pan in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake the cheesecakes at 180 degrees until golden brown (about 15-20 minutes).
7. Baked cheesecakes with sour cream are ready. Enjoy your meal!

3. Lviv syrnik

This is a visiting card of coffee houses and pastry shops of Lviv. Lush, tender, with juicy zest – in a word, a real curd. A wonderful combination of lemon peel, vanilla, raisins and chocolate glaze will leave everyone feeling satisfied.

You will need:

• Cottage cheese (fat content from 5% and above) – 500 g
• Eggs – 4 pcs.
• Butter (softened) – 100 g
• Sugar – 100-150 g
• Semolina – 1 tbsp.
• Raisins – 50 g
• Vanilla Sugar – 10 g
• Lemon (zest) – 1 pc.
• Salt – 1 pinch

For glaze:

• Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp.
• Sugar – 2 tbsp.
• Sour cream – 3 tbsp.
• Butter – 20 g

Direction:

1. Pass the cottage cheese through a meat grinder (you can use a blender or rub the cottage cheese through a sieve).
2. Add the zest of lemon, grated on a fine grater, vanilla sugar, salt, semolina and softened butter to the cottage cheese. Mix well until smooth. You can beat with a mixer to distribute the butter evenly.
3. Pour raisins with boiling water, leave for 5 minutes, dry well with paper towels.
4. Beat eggs with sugar until fluffy light: first beat eggs without sugar, then add sugar in parts. Carefully introduce the egg-sugar mixture into the curd mass, mix with movements from bottom to top.
5. Add raisins, mix.
6. Put the curd in a mold covered with parchment, smooth over the entire surface of the mold. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.
7. For the glaze, mix sugar and cocoa, add sour cream. Mix well until smooth. Boil the glaze over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the first signs of boiling show.
8. Add butter to the chocolate glaze, mix and remove from heat.
9. Pour the cooled Lviv syrniki with chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, until the glaze completely hardens.
10. Lviv cheesecake is ready. Enjoy your meal!

4. Tvorozhnik with chocolate

You will need:

• Cottage cheese – 300 g
• Chocolate – 40 g
• Egg – 1 pc.
• Sour cream – 2-3 tbsp.
• Semolina – 1 tbsp.
• Corn starch – 1 tsp
• Powdered sugar – 1-2 teaspoons
• Vanillin – 1 pinch
• Vegetable oil – to lubricate the molds

Direction:

• In a deep bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, sour cream and icing sugar.
• Beat with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute.
• Add starch, semolina and vanillin. Whip again.
• Finely chop the chocolate.
• Add the chocolate to the curd and mix. Turn on the oven to heat up to 190 degrees.
• Grease a muffin tray with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
• Fill the tray with the curd mass up to half and put in the oven.
• Bake cheese cakes with chocolate in the oven at 190 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Ready cheesecakes should be let cool a little in the tray, then take out to serve.