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There’s something so comforting about a stack of pancakes. Every Sunday for the past 10 years (even on vacation!) I’ve been making a stack of sky-high fluffy pancakes, piling them on our plates alongside a big mug of coffee.
We top them with everything from peanut butter to fruit, yogurt and syrup, alternating our toppings and flavors with every passing week. We never skip a week; during Passover, we make almond flour pancakes, and we’ll swap pancake stacks for rolled blintzes during Shavuot. If we can’t make it for Sunday breakfast, we indulge in breakfast for dinner Sunday evening.
While I love all kinds of cakes, my current favorite type of pancake is the Ukrainian syrniki, a blintz-pancake hybrid that is packed with flavor, with a salty-sweet mixture of farmer’s cheese, sugar, eggs and flour. It’s naturally high in protein, can be made sweet or savory, and is an easy way to get my family to eat cottage or farmer’s cheese.
If you think about it, the ingredients and preparation aren’t too dissimilar from the beloved blintz, without the hassle of making paper-thin pancakes, rolling and frying. You can get the flavor of your favorite brunch dish without the fuss. To make the syrniki even more blintz-y, I like to add a splash of vanilla extract and lemon zest, similar to my favorite blintz filling, and top it with a fruity compote.
This recipe uses farmer’s cheese, which is similar to cottage cheese but is a drier and firmer product, with a lower moisture content and mild, tangy flavor. Both are great sources of protein, but I love the small curds and lower salt content of farmer’s cheese — not to mention it is lower in lactose, perfect for my sensitive stomach. The brand of farmer’s cheese I use is Lifeway, a Jewish, female-owned business based in Illinois and not too far from my new home!
While as a Canadian, maple syrup is a prominent ingredient in my kitchen, I actually prefer a less sweet, fruity topping for my morning stack. I try to make a fruit compote with whatever I have on hand, from frozen berries to bruised peaches and apricots. There’s no better way to enjoy less-than-perfect produce than in a stewed sauce dolloped over your pancakes.
Last month, we went strawberry picking as a family, and after picking over 10 pounds of berries, I found myself with a lot of frozen strawberries. It was time to get creative. I love the contrast of tart sumac with sweet strawberries. For those who are new to sumac, it comes from the deep red berries of a sumac shrub. It has a lemony tart flavor with a slight fruity taste. I love the simplicity of strawberries, but if you have rhubarb on hand, use equal parts strawberry and rhubarb, increasing the honey slightly to counteract the tart rhubarb.
Syrniki are best eaten the day of, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, and reheat in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes before serving.
Syrniki with Strawberry Sumac Compote
Makes 12. Serves 4.
For the syrniki:
- 16 oz. farmer’s cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbs. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. lemon zest
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus 4 Tbs. for rolling
- 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, for frying
For the compote:
- 4 cups chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tbs. honey
- 1½ tsp. sumac (I like Burlap & Barrel or Oaktown Spice Shop)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the syrniki: In a large bowl, combine the farmer’s cheese, eggs, sugar and lemon zest until well combined. Add ¾ cup flour until just combined.
Place the remaining 4 Tbs. in a shallow dish. Set aside.
Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop out the batter. Wet your hands and roll the batter into a ball, gently flattening it until it is ½ inch thick.
Place the flattened batter into the flour, turning to lightly dredge with flour. Place on the baking tray, repeating with the remaining batter. Transfer to the lined baking sheet.
Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the syrniki, cooking for 2 minutes per side until crisp and golden. Transfer to the lined baking tray, and bake for 5 to 6 minutes until the center is fully cooked.
Make the compote: Place the strawberries, water, honey and sumac in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the fruit has softened and the liquid has thickened. Remove from the heat and let it come to room temperature. The compote will thicken as it cools. Serve the syrniki with the compote.