Lviv Syrnyk with Poppy Seeds

Lviv syrnyk is a traditional Ukrainian cheesecake made with cottage cheese, lemon zest, vanilla and dried berries such as raisins or cranberries. Now I offer you a recipe for Lviv syrnyk with poppy seeds.

Ukrainian cheesecake according to this recipe is not too sweet, just right. It is fresh, with a pleasant vanilla and lemon flavor. It also has a very cheesy flavor.

Cranberries give Lviv syrnyk its juiciness and interesting fruity flavor, while poppy seeds give it a texture that cannot be compared to anything else. And this syrnyk also has a crispy chocolate crust, which, combined with the delicate cottage cheese, gives an extraordinary experience.

Cooking Lviv syrnyk

For this Lviv syrnyk, we’re going to prepare the poppy seeds a little bit beforehand to make them soft. It’s easy to do and doesn’t require any special equipment.

In general, Lviv syrnyk according to this recipe can be prepared without the use of kitchen appliances (except for the oven, of course). If this is your case, then I advise you to pass the cottage cheese through a sieve so that the cheesecake has a more or less smooth consistency.

However, if you have a blender or a food processor, it will certainly make it easier to prepare.

We are going to prepare the cranberries as well: soak it to make it juicy. You can pour boiling water over them about an hour before making the syrnyk. Or you can soak it in something flavorful, such as rum or other alcohol, or orange juice, which is also good.

Pour alcohol or juice over the cranberries 1–2 days before making the Lviv syrnyk so that the cranberries have time to absorb the liquid and flavor as much as possible.

You can often find semolina in Lviv syrnyk recipes, but I prefer to add cornstarch. So, this Lviv syrnyk is gluten-free, which may be important for some people.

Ingredients:

600 g of cottage cheese
100 g of sugar
1.5 tbsp of cornstarch
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 lemon zest
4 eggs
50 g greek yogurt or sour cream
80 g butter
50 g cranberries
50 g poppy seeds

Frosting:
70 g dark chocolate
70 g butter
10 g vegetable oil
coconut flakes for garnish

1. Pour boiling water over the cranberries and leave for 1 hour, then put them in a sieve (if you pour alcohol or juice instead of water, do it 1-2 days in advance, and then put the cranberries in a sieve right before cooking).
2. Pour water over the poppy seeds (about 2-3 times more than the amount of poppy seeds), bring to a boil and boil over low heat for half an hour. If foam appears during this process, remove it. Then pour off the boiling water and rinse the poppy seeds with cold water several times. Put it in a fine sieve.
3. Turn on the oven to preheat to 180°C.
4. Melt the butter.
5. Combine sugar with cornstarch and mix with a whisk.
6. Add cottage cheese, lemon zest, eggs, greek yogurt (or sour cream), melted butter. Blend everything together with a blender or in a food processor until smooth.
7. Separate 200 grams of the mixture into another bowl. Add cranberries to the larger part of the mixture and poppy seeds to the smaller part.
8. Cover the baking mold with parchment.
9. Pour the larger mixture (the one with the cranberries) into the mold, spread the poppy seed mixture on top.
10. Bake the syrnyk for 40 minutes at 180°C. Turn off the oven and leave the syrnyk in it for half an hour with the door open.
11. Cool the syrnyk completely in the mold at room temperature. Put it in the refrigerator (also in the mold) for 6-8 hours (I usually make the cheesecake in the evening and decorate it with glaze in the morning).
12. Prepare the icing. Melt the chocolate together with the butter and oil in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring each time (or in a water bath if you don’t have a microwave).
13. Remove the syrnyk from the mold and turn it upside down. Cover it with the glaze and sprinkle with coconut. Allow the glaze to harden and serve the Lviv syrnyk.

Store the Lviv syrnyk in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Enjoy your meal!