Syrniki "Quark cheese pancakes" with Raspberry Sauce

To continue Russian food theme of this week, I decided to make syrniki for breakfast. Syrniki is a popular delicious breakfast dish in Russia and the post Soviet Union countries. They have small round shape and remind mini pancakes. Although syrniki look like their bigger American cousins, the ingredients are different. For Russian mini pancakes, we use quark cheese, eggs, flour, salt, sugar and sometimes vanilla. Quark cheese is a principal and irreplaceable ingredient! Commonly, cheese quark is made of cow milk with special milk ferments. You can buy it in many stores in Russia or in a gourmet section in big stores in America. Some people make this cheese at home. It takes some knowledge of the process and a little bit of time:-) The recipe is very simple. I am going to post the recipe of cheese quark in my blog.
When preparing syrniki, Russian people get very creative. Even though the process of making them is pretty straight forward, people add various fillings, toppings and powdering. Sour cream, raisins and fruit preserve are the most popular. The mixture of cheese quark is fried; it becomes crispy on the outside and moist in the center. The simplicity of the recipe and delicate yummy flavor make syrniki very popular in Eastern Europe. So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
for 2 people

1 package of quark cheese (or 8 oz)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
flour for surface
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix well quark cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour and mix with a spatula or a spoon so that the mixture doesn't have any lumps.

2. Heat the a skillet over medium heat, add vegetable oil.

3. Move the mixture on a floured surface. Divide it into 8 equal parts, roll the balls and press each ball into patties of 1/2 inch in height.

4. When oil and the skillet are hot, place patties on the skillet. Toast every patty on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown (tossing only once).

5. Place syrniki on a plate. Decorate with raspberry preserve or sauce and fresh raspberries.

* Sour cream on top of syrnyki makes them juicier. You can add some sour cream on each patty and sprinkle sugar on top.

* Instead of vegetable oil, you can use any other as long it doesn't have strong odor.

* As I mentioned, any filling and topping is good.

Bon Appetit!