INGREDIENTS:

For Syrniki - Cottage Cheese Pancakes:

= 300 g (1 cup) cottage cheese

= 1 egg

= 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

= 1 Tablespoon sugar

= Olive oil – for cooking pancakes

= Sour cream (optional) – for serving  

For Strawberry Kissel (thick Strawberry Sauce):

= 4 cups strawberries quartered

= 2 Tablespoons sugar

= 1 Tablespoon potato starch

= 1/2 cup cooled (boiled) water

COOKING:

Syrniki:

1. Put the cottage cheese in a bowl and mash it with a fork until smooth with no lumps.

Add the egg and sugar and mix well with a fork.

2. Add 2 tablespoons flour and mix together.

3. You can add another tablespoon of flour if your mixture is still wet – mix well.

4. Put your cottage cheese mixture on a lightly floured work surface.

5. Form a “pipe” of your cottage cheese mixture and roll it in the flour. Add some flour on the work surface if you need.

6. Cut your “pipe” in 8 equal pieces. Flatten each piece forming a Syrnik or a small pancake.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, over a medium heat. Make sure it does not burn.

7. Place your Syrniki in the frying pan (low heat). Let them sit on one side for 1-2 minutes until one side is browned then flip them with a spatula and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Do not cook them longer then 5-7 minutes total.

Transfer your cooked Syrniki to a warmed bowl or plate and keep them until ready to serve.

Variation: You can brown your Syrniki on both sides until golden, then place them on a greased cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for 10 minutes at 320̊ F (160̊ С.)

Kissel:

1. Quarter cleaned strawberries and cover with 2 tablespoons sugar. Let it stand for 15 minutes until juicy.

2. In a sauce pan pour ¼ cup boiling water and all strawberries with their juice. Boil for 1 minute then set aside.

3. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of potato starch in ½ cup cooled water (that was boiled). Pour starch water into the strawberries, stir it together and boil it over low heat stirring frequently until thickens.

Serve Syrniki with hot Kissel and cold sour cream.