I don’t know why, but I only learned to make truly delicious syrniki in the last couple of years. Before that, they were more like a dense dough made from flour—something you could easily use to hammer in nails the next day, but definitely not the kind of cheese pancakes you’d want to eat.
So here’s how to make them:
Start with 400 grams of homemade tvorog (about 14 ounces; you can use less if you’re making a smaller batch). Add 1-2 eggs (one if the tvorog is wet; two if it’s dry). Mix in about four tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a dash of vanilla. Stir gently so that you don’t turn the mixture into a cream; you want to keep some small chunks of tvorog intact—so mix lightly without overdoing it. Then, add 3-4 tablespoons of flour and mix carefully again.
Next, sprinkle a little flour on a plate, shape the syrniki by hand, and gently coat them in flour before placing them in a skillet. How you cook them is really a matter of taste—we prefer them a bit crispy, but it’s up to you. They’re delicious served with honey and sour cream or sweetened condensed milk. Give it a try, and even those who aren’t fans of tvorog might just fall in love with this dish. Good luck!