Belarusian Baked Syrniki with Fresh Blueberries, Honey and Sour Cream

If the cheese looks at all wet, wrap it in cheesecloth and press out the moisture for 30 minutes. Wet cheese is the single reason syrniki spread and turn gummy.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds dry farmer cheese or well-drained full-fat ricotta
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
• 3 tablespoons semolina
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 cup sour cream or smetana, for serving
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. If the cheese looks at all wet, wrap it in cheesecloth and press out the moisture for 30 minutes. Wet cheese is the single reason syrniki spread and turn gummy.
2. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
3. Mash the cheese with the eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and salt until the mixture is even but still has some curd texture.
4. Fold in the flour and semolina and let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the semolina hydrates and firms it up.
5. Fold in 1 cup of the blueberries with a light hand, keeping most of the berries whole.
6. With floured hands, shape into 12 thick pucks about 2 1/2 inches across, set them on the pan, and brush the tops with melted butter.
7. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until puffed and golden at the edges and set in the middle. Let them firm up on the pan for 5 minutes.
8. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar, under the remaining blueberries, a drizzle of honey and a generous spoonful of sour cream.
9. Syrniki are a fixture across Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, usually fried in a skillet for breakfast, but baking them makes a lighter version that suits a table already crowded with summer fruit. Belarusian forests give up wild blueberries by the bucket in August, and the pairing of tart berries, thick smetana and dark honey is one of those regional combinations that needs no improvement.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 430 kcal
• Protein: 22g
• Fat: 19g
• Carbohydrates: 44g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 28g
• Sodium: 340mg