Farmer's Cheese Pancakes...

delicate, light, delicious breakfast treat.

like little velvet bellini with a hint of lemon.

i came across this particular recipe while googling around for cottage cheese pancakes.  i found a ton of recipes for "Syrniki" aka...Russian pancakes made with Farmer's Cheese.  i've never had the pleasure of a true Russian pancake, but i thought i'd give these a try.  i'm sure every Russian Grandmother makes them them better than the next, but this is where i'll start.  i hope i get some good comments from readers with their own "Syrniki" recipes. 

these are just what i was looking for.  something with a little less flour and a little more protein.  they're pretty healthy...lighter than your American pancake and they can be served for breakfast, brunch or made into some cute creative layered dessert.  mine didn't make it to the dessert idea...they were all gone before i could get to it.  i'll make these again this weekend for the holidays when the troops arrive.  farmer's cheese isn't at my local market and they are a little delicate in the pan, but worth the extra shopping trip and a little patience with the batter.

FARMER'S CHEESE PANCAKES...

found at www.npr.org.  original from chef Vitaly Paley

330g farmer's cheese ...i used Friendship Farmer's Cheese

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

2 Tbsp sugar or substitute

3-4 Tbsp white whole wheat flour

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

a squeeze of lemon

a little zest for more lemon flavor

mix the wet ingredients...farmer's cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until combined with no lumps.  chef Vitaly's grandmother suggests mixing the lemon juice and baking soda in a little bowl (for fluffier cakes), stir well. and add to the wet ingredients.  add the flour and baking powder, start with 3 Tbsp flour....batter should be a little thicker than regular pancake batter.  depending on the moisture of your farmer's cheese you might need to add a little more flour.  add a little lemon zest.  now go ahead and taste the batter, it won't kill you.  more sugar?...more zest?...

heat your skillet with a little butter or oil of choice... but a little butter won't hurt ya AND "butter makes everything better".

warning...the first pancake is always a bit of a "flub".  mine started to look good after about the 3rd one.  i made them pretty small, about 2 1/2 to 3 inches across and i got about 12.  smaller are easier to flip.  cook the first side until you see good looking bubbles form on the top...(pretty much like regular pancakes).  flip and cook other side.  i had a nice light brown color on mine as shown.

these are delicate pancakes.  don't loose patience with the flipping.

or...add a little more flour to thicken the dough.

serve with syrup of choice...maple is nice...ginger would be delicious with fresh berries...

OR they are fabulous with a dollop of vanilla greek yogurt and homemade jam.

absolutely delicious right off the skillet, but they do save well in the fridge for the next day or two.  we found ourselves eating them right out of the fridge with a little homemade Meyer Lemon Lavender Marmalade (posting soon)...

approx. nutrition 

using sugar sub. with 12 per batch

each pancake...57 calories...1.1 carb...3.4 fat...and 5.1 protein