Recipe

Syrniki-Style Cheese Pancakes with Guava

Name: Syrniki-Style Cheese Pancakes with Guava
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 67 min
Ingredients: 500 g dry unsalted farmer cheese or drained tvorog; 1 large egg, about 50 g without shell; 30 g sugar; 50 g all-purpose wheat flour; 30 g all-purpose wheat flour for shaping the pancakes; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 pinch of salt, only if the cheese is unsalted; 20 g butter for the pan; 20 ml neutral oil for the pan; 120 g guava paste, cut small; 60 ml water; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 5 g powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Syrniki made with dry farmer cheese or tvorog, pan-fried until golden and drizzled with guava sauce: a Russian-Cuban fusion dish.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation20 min
Cooking25 min
Total time1 h 7 min
Servings12 small pancakes (4 servings)
DifficultyMedium

Syrniki are small, thick dry-cheese pancakes from Russian cuisine. They are made with tvorog, a crumbly fresh cheese, bound with egg, a little flour and some sugar, and browned slowly in a pan until the center sets.

This version is a contemporary fusion adaptation, not a dish from Cuban tradition. The base and technique are those of syrniki; the Cuban touch comes from the sauce made with guava paste, which evokes the pairing of guava and cheese on the Cuban table.

For them to turn out well, the cheese has to be dry: unsalted pressed farmer cheese or well-drained tvorog. A salty, firm Latin fresh cheese, cream cheese or wet cottage cheese are not direct substitutes.

Method

Dough

Crumble the cheese with a fork in a bowl. Add the egg, sugar, vanilla and the pinch of salt (only if the cheese is unsalted) and mix.
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Add the 50 g of flour and combine without beating or turning it into a smooth paste: it should be a dense, slightly lumpy dough that holds its shape. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
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Guava sauce

Put the cut guava paste, the water and the lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring, until you have a thick sauce. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Shaping and cooking

Sprinkle some of the shaping flour on the work surface. Divide the cheese mixture into 12 portions and, with lightly floured hands, shape discs about 6 cm in diameter and 1.5 cm thick. Use only as much flour as needed to keep them from sticking.
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Heat half of the oil and butter in the pan over medium-low heat. Cook six pancakes for 4–5 minutes per side, until golden and the center sets (71 °C/160 °F).
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Remove the pancakes and repeat with the remaining six using the reserved fat; lower the heat if they brown too quickly.
Let the pancakes cool for 2 minutes. If you like, lightly dust with the powdered sugar and serve with a drizzle of guava sauce.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba