Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Raisins Recipe
Cottage cheese pancakes with raisins are Polish, cheese-based fritters for a sweet breakfast or afternoon snack. They have a moist, slightly “cheesecake-like” centre, delicately crisp edges and a vanilla aroma, while the raisins add natural sweetness. The thick batter holds its shape well in the pan, so the pancakes are easy to flip and don’t spread while frying.
These pancakes are a classic of Polish home-style sweet breakfasts and afternoon snacks, combining the flavour of traditional twaróg with the comfort of simple pan-fried cakes.
These pancakes combine the comfort of cheesecake with the speed of simple fritters, making them perfect when you crave something sweet “from nothing”. Thanks to raisins and vanilla they taste like dessert despite the modest amount of sugar in the batter. They are also easy to adapt – you can add other dried fruit or fresh seasonal fruit.
Why this version works
- Soaking and thoroughly drying the raisins keeps them from burning on the surface of the pancakes.
- The thick, cheese-rich batter holds its shape well, so the pancakes are thick and easy to flip.
- Briefly processing the twaróg gives a fluffy centre while preserving its distinct cheese character.
Chef's tips
Fry small pancakes from the start, using one heaped tablespoon of batter each – they cook through more easily and are simpler to flip without tearing., Always fry one test pancake to check the heat of the burner and the batter thickness; if it turns out very flat, add a tablespoon of flour., After frying, don’t cover the pancakes tightly, as steam will soften the nicely browned edges.
How to serve
Serve with thick plain yogurt or sour cream and a teaspoon of honey, and in season add fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries or plums., They’re perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast or a sweet supper with a mug of cocoa or tea with lemon., For a more dessert-like version, drizzle them with chocolate sauce or fruit coulis.
Watch out for
- If the batter is too runny, it will spread and be hard to flip – in that case, add a little more flour.
- Don’t fry over high heat – they will darken quickly on the outside while remaining wet and undercooked inside.
- If the raisins are not well dried, wet spots will form around them and the batter will set less well.
Substitutions
- Use vanilla sugar or a few drops of vanilla extract instead of vanillin sugar.
- Replace part of the wheat flour with oat flour for a slightly different texture.
- Instead of vegetable oil, you can fry in clarified butter for a richer flavour.
Ingredients
- semi-fat twaróg (Polish cottage cheese) - 250 g
- eggs - 2 pieces
- flour wheat - 80 g
- sugar - 2 tablespoons
- raisins - 40 g
- vanillin sugar - 1 teaspoon
- baking powder - 0.5 teaspoons
- oil vegetable - 3 tablespoons
- sour cream or plain yogurt
- sugar powdered
Preparation
- Pour warm water or milk over the raisins for a few minutes so they soften and plump up. Then drain thoroughly and pat dry on a paper towel until they look matte and no longer leave wet marks.
- In a bowl, mash the twaróg with a fork or briefly blend it until fairly smooth with only small lumps. Large, hard pieces of cheese can later create “holes” in the pancakes.
- Add the eggs, sugar and vanillin sugar. Mix with a whisk or mixer until the mixture is uniform and slightly fluffy, with no visible streaks of egg white or sugar lumps.
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix briefly just until combined. The batter should be thick and slowly fall off the spoon; if it spreads like crepe batter, add 1–2 tablespoons of flour.
- Add the well-dried raisins and gently fold them in with a spoon so they are evenly distributed in the batter and don’t sink to the bottom. The mixture should remain thick and springy.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When a drop of batter sizzles gently, spoon in portions of about 1 tablespoon each, forming small, round pancakes with clearly defined edges.
- Fry the pancakes for 2–3 minutes on the first side until they rise noticeably, the edges set and the underside is golden. When the surface near the edges no longer looks wet, flip to the other side.
- Fry the second side for another 2–3 minutes until the pancakes are evenly golden and springy to the touch, not sunken. Reduce the heat if needed so they don’t brown too quickly.
- Transfer the fried pancakes to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess fat. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar, with sour cream or yogurt and your favourite fruit.
Storage
Once cooled, the pancakes firm up slightly and lose some of their crisp edges, but the centre stays moist. Reheat them best in a dry pan with a lid or briefly in the oven so they become soft and lightly golden again.
I always fry one test pancake that disappears in the kitchen before the rest reach the table. For the kids I sometimes add a handful of finely chopped dried apricots along with the raisins.
