Lviv Syrnyk
Description
Homemade baking for tea. For me, Lviv cheesecake brings back childhood in my grandmother’s village in Ukraine. It’s funny that my grandmother doesn’t live in Lviv Oblast but in Chernihiv Oblast—almost at the other end of the country :) As a child I had no idea my favorite dish at Grandma’s was actually called “Lviv-style.” Only recently, when I was hunting for a recipe for that huge, delicious cheesecake, I learned it’s Lviv cheesecake. Fine—Lviv it is. To me it can be Lviv, Odesa, or Poltava—all I care about is that it tastes good :) Good luck with the bake. The pastry is done. Serve it at the table.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Rub the cottage cheese through a sieve. If the strained mixture is very runny, squeeze out the excess liquid through cheesecloth.
- 2
Step 2
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until smooth and uniform.
- 3
Step 3
Add semolina, lemon zest, raisins, and butter to the egg yolk mixture (set aside a little butter for the glaze—about 1 tablespoon).
- 4
Step 4
Add cottage cheese to the mixture, stir, and beat it very briefly on the lowest speed.
- 5
Step 5
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- 6
Step 6
Gently mix the cottage cheese mixture with the egg white mixture.
- 7
Step 7
Place the mixture in a parchment-lined baking pan.
- 8
Step 8
Make the glaze: melt a small amount (about 1 tbsp) of butter with 2 tbsp sugar over low heat, stirring constantly. Then add 2–3 tbsp sour cream, stir well and add 2 tbsp cocoa powder. Cook over low heat, stirring thoroughly. Without stopping stirring, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- 9
Step 9
Bake the cheesecake in the oven for about 40–50 minutes at 180°C (much depends on your oven). Turn the baked cheesecake out onto a plate and pour hot glaze over it. Do not serve it right away—it should rest in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, or better overnight. Only after that should you serve it. :)