Syrniki - Ukrainian sweet pancakes

 

My first acquaintance with these chubby sweet pancakes, but definitely not the last. They seem to be popular especially in Eastern Europe and when I tasted them I understood why. The texture is thick, due to the cottage cheese in the batter and this combination of mine with blood-oranges and sour cream was spot on. Not too sweet. We enjoyed them for dessert, but they would sit as well on your brunch table. 

The recipe is adapted from www.12tomatoes.com

Ingredients for about 18 -20 pancakes:

2 cups/1lb/5 dl cottage cheese or ricotta

3/4 cups/1,8 dl all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 eggs

1/4 cup/0,6 dl granulated sugar (I used a little less)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

vegetable oil for frying

Topping suggestions: sour cream, fruit, jam, honey, powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, 3/4 cup flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until uniform in consistency, about 2 minutes. There will still be some cheese clumps and the mixture will be very sticky.

2. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 3-4 tablespoons of oil.

3. Meanwhile, make the patties: dust a clean work surface liberally with flour. Using a spoon, scoop batter from the bowl onto the floured surface in heaping tablespoons. Using a fork and well-floured hands, roll each patty in the flour, then pat with your palm to form into a patty.

4. Once the oil is hot, place the patties into the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, flipping once during cooking, until golden brown.

5. Serve topped with some combination of fruit, jam, sour cream, powdered sugar and/or honey.

German apple pancakes

A while ago I read the New York Times bestseller "Save me the plums", a gourmet memoir by Ruth Reichl. She was editor in chief of the American Gourmet magazine for ten years. Previously she was the restaurant critic for The New York Times and served as the food editor and restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times.

There are a few of her favorite recipes included in this book. This pancake recipe comes from the restaurant Lüchow's in New York. It was located at 110 East 14th Street in East Village and was famous for its huge portions of classic German food. Ruth went there once a week with her family all through her childhood. Her mother always ordered this pancake, nothing else. Only many years later, overcome with a desire for the taste of her childhood, Ruth decided to try making the dish herself. The pancakes consist of apples, eggs, lemon and sugar ... so go ahead and make some for dessert or brunch. They are the yummiest pancakes I've ever tasted, not to mention the lovely smell lingering around the house!

Ingredients for 4 large pancakes:

2 tart cooking apples (Granny Smiths are good)

1 lemon

4 tablespoons (unsalted) butter

0,5 dl brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I used at least 1 teaspoon)

small grating of nutmeg (left out)

3 eggs

1,5 - 1,8 dl flour

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2,2 -2,4 dl milk

sugar for sprinkling

rum or cognac (optional, if you want to flame your pancakes

1. Peel the apples, core them and slice them thinly. Shower them with about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

2. Melt half the butter (2 tablespoons) in a medium skillet and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the apple slices and cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, until they've become quite darkly caramelized and smell impossibly delicious. Remove them from the heat.

3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs. Gently whisk in the flour, salt and sugar. Add the milk. The batter should be thin.

4. Melt a couple of teaspoons of butter in a skillet (20 cm in diameter). When it's hot, pour in a little batter, tilting the pan so that it covers the entire surface, making a thin crêpe. Cook just until set, about 2 minutes.

5. Evenly distribute a fourth of the apples over the crêpe, pour a little batter over the apples. Turn the pancake (use two pancake turners and do it quickly) and allow the bottom to brown. Turn out onto a large plate, sprinkle with sugar, and roll the pancake up like a roll. sprinkle with a bit more sugar and if you like a splash of lemon juice.

6. Repeat this until you have four plump rolled pancakes. If you want to flame your creations, lightly warm a few tablespoons of rum or cognac for each pancake in a pan, add the pancakes, spoon the liquor over the top and set the pancakes on fire.

Härkäpapupannukakut

Tiirikkalan härkäpapujauhopussi (kiitos Marina) oli kauan odottanut avaamista keittiön työpöydällä. Chocochilin blogista löysin mainion pannukakkureseptin jota päätin testata. Taikina on ilman kananmunia ja lehmänmaitoa, siispä vegaaninen ja proteiinipitoinen härkäpapujen ansiosta. Jätin pois sokerin ja kanelin, koska silloin voi tarjota sekä suolaista että makeaa lisuketta lättyjen kanssa. Reseptiä kannattaa kokeilla, kun vaikka haluaa tehdä terveellisempiä brunssipannukakkuja. 

Ainekset noin 12 pieneen pannukakkuun:
1,5 dl härkäpapujauhoja
1 rkl mantelijauhoja
1 tl vaniljasokeria (jätin pois)
0,5 tl kanelia (jätin pois)
1/4 tl leivinjauhetta
noin 2,5 dl mantelimaitoa (olen joskus käyttänyt kauramaitoa)
rypsiöljyä paistamiseen

1. Sekoita kuivat aineet yhteen. Lisää mantelimaito ja sekoita tasaiseksi. Kannattaa sekoittaa taikina nokallisessa astiassa, josta on helppo kaataa massaa suoraan pannulle.

2. Anna taikinan turvota noin 10 minuuttia.

3. Kaada lettupannulle tilkka öljyä. Kaada sitten lettupannun kolot lähes täyteen taikinaa. Käännä pannukakut kun pinta alkaa hiukan kuplia ja paista vielä hetki toiselta puolelta (keskilämmöllä).

4. Tarjoa joko suolaisen tai makean täytteen kanssa ... miksei molemmilla.

Tämän annoksen täyte koostuu Lidlin valmiista punajuurikvinoasalaatista (namnam), vegaanisesta salaattijuustosta ja pikkelöidystä punasipulista.

Keltainen täyte on Lidlin currypapukvinoasalaatti (erittäin maukas) ja toinen täyte on vegaaninen pesto cashewpähkinöillä (resepti seuraavassa postauksessa).

Terveellisiä jälkiruokalättyjä viime kesän punaisilla ja valkoisilla viinimarjoilla sekä karviaisilla höystettynä. Niukasti vaahterasiirappia.

Pieni makea lopetus aterialle: pannukakku limesoijajugurtilla ja tuoreilla marjoilla.