A classic Russian dessert that I like to serve for breakfast, which is convenient because the dough—or batter; actually it’s somewhere in between—can rest overnight (or longer). Serve with sour cream and jam.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 pint cottage cheese

　　1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt

　　3 egg yolks

　　3 tablespoons granulated sugar

　　1/2 cup flour

　　Tiny pinch of salt

　　Butter for frying

　　Confectioners’ sugar, optional

　　Sour cream for serving

　　Jam for serving

　　

Step 1

Squeeze the cottage cheese in a towel until quite dry; combine in a bowl or food processor with the sour cream, yolks, granulated sugar, flour, and salt and blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

　　

Step 2

Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes; at the same time, preheat the oven to 200°F. Add about 2 tablespoons butter and, when it is hot, begin to shape the dough into 3-inch patties, 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Add as many patties as will fit comfortably in the pan, then cook until lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook until the second side is brown, another 3 to 5 minutes. Keep the finished cakes warm in the oven while you cook the remainder, adding butter as needed, until they are done; dust with confectioners’ sugar if you like and serve immediately, with sour cream and jam.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.