Skip to main content

Sirniki

A classic Russian dessert that I like to serve for breakfast, which is convenient because the dough—or batter; actually it’s somewhere in between—can rest overnight (or longer). Serve with sour cream and jam.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pint cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup flour
Tiny pinch of salt
Butter for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, optional
Sour cream for serving
Jam for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Squeeze the cottage cheese in a towel until quite dry; combine in a bowl or food processor with the sour cream, yolks, granulated sugar, flour, and salt and blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

    Step 2

    Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes; at the same time, preheat the oven to 200°F. Add about 2 tablespoons butter and, when it is hot, begin to shape the dough into 3-inch patties, 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Add as many patties as will fit comfortably in the pan, then cook until lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook until the second side is brown, another 3 to 5 minutes. Keep the finished cakes warm in the oven while you cook the remainder, adding butter as needed, until they are done; dust with confectioners’ sugar if you like and serve immediately, with sour cream and jam.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
Read More
Like Greek lemon potatoes and gochujang chicken stir-fry.
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Thinly sliced and cooked hot and fast, pork tenderloin is the juicy, cook-quicking weeknight champion of this vegetable-heavy stir-fry.
Chicken breasts reach their full potential in this spicy, saucy stir-fry with blistered green beans.
Add a bag of potato chips and you've got yourself a party.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Like fattoush salad and strawberry shortcake roll.