Sernik
Poland's twaróg cheesecake: dense, dry, slightly tangy, lifted with eggs and brightened with lemon zest. Built on a shortcrust base. The Easter centrepiece.
Overview
A buttery shortcrust pastry is pressed into a tin; a small piece is reserved for a lattice. Twaróg (the dry, tangy Polish curd cheese) is blended with butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest and a little semolina or cornflour. Whipped egg whites are folded in for lightness. The filling is poured onto the pastry, the lattice is criss-crossed on top, and it bakes at a moderate heat until just set. The cooling matters: rapid cooling cracks the top.
Ingredients
Shortcrust base
- 250 g plain flour
- 80 g icing sugar
- 150 g cold unsalted butter (cubed)
- 1 egg yolk (large)
- 2 tablespoons cold milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Filling
- 1 kg twaróg cheese (or 1 kg drained full-fat cottage cheese; see Notes)
- 200 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 200 g caster sugar
- 6 eggs (large, separated)
- 50 g fine semolina (or 40 g cornflour)
- 2 lemons (zest)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped)
- 50 g raisins (optional; soaked in 2 tablespoons rum or warm water 15 minutes)
- A pinch of salt
To finish
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar (for dusting)
Method
Stage 1 - Pastry
- Pulse the flour, icing sugar, salt and cold butter in a food processor (or rub by hand) until breadcrumb texture.
- Add the yolk, milk and vanilla; pulse just until the dough comes together.
- Tip out, shape into two pieces (one twice the size of the other), wrap; chill 30 minutes.
Stage 2 - Twaróg base
- If using cottage cheese: drain in a sieve lined with muslin or a clean tea towel; press to remove excess liquid; you want it dry and crumbly. Push through a fine sieve or food mill for the right smooth-but-textured base.
- If using twaróg: push through a fine sieve once for smoothness.
Stage 3 - Filling
- Beat the soft butter and sugar in a large bowl on high speed for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
- Beat in the sieved twaróg in three additions; mix until smooth.
- Stir in the semolina, lemon zest, vanilla and salt.
- Drain the raisins; fold in.
Stage 4 - Egg whites
- In a clean bowl, whisk the 6 egg whites to firm peaks.
- Fold a third into the cheese mixture vigorously to loosen.
- Fold the rest in gently in two more additions, keeping the air.
Stage 5 - Assemble
- Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan).
- Line a 24 cm springform tin with baking paper.
- Roll the larger piece of pastry to fit the base and 3 cm up the sides; press in.
- Pour the filling in; smooth the top.
- Roll the smaller piece of pastry to a rectangle; cut into 1 cm strips.
- Lay strips in a lattice across the top (or skip; many Polish serniki are unadorned).
Stage 6 - Bake and cool slowly
- Bake 70-80 minutes until the top is golden and the centre still has the faintest wobble.
- Turn off the oven; prop the door slightly open with a wooden spoon.
- Cool in the cooling oven 1 hour. This slow cool prevents cracks.
- Lift out; cool completely on a rack (another 2 hours).
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Sernik tastes much better the next day.
Stage 7 - Serve
- Run a knife around the tin; release the springform.
- Dust with icing sugar through a sieve.
- Slice with a hot, dry knife (dip in hot water, wipe, slice; repeat).
Notes
- Twaróg is the critical ingredient: Polish farmer's curd cheese - dry, tangy, slightly grainy. The closest substitute is full-fat cottage cheese, drained for an hour through muslin then pressed through a sieve. Ricotta is too wet without overnight draining. Quark is acceptable but thinner.
- Slow cool prevents cracks: Don't shortcut by pulling the cake out at the end. The temperature drop is what cracks the top.
- Next day is better: Sernik genuinely improves on day two. Make ahead.
Variations
Sernik krakowski: With a lattice top (the Krakow style; this recipe). Sernik wiedenski: With a thin chocolate ganache glaze; Vienna-influenced. Plain (warszawski): No pastry top, no lattice; just dusted with icing sugar.
Serving
Serve cold or just-cool from the fridge with a strong coffee. Some Polish households serve it with a thin pour of fruit compote (cherry, plum) on the side.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days refrigerated, covered.
- Freezes 1 month (wrap individual slices; defrost overnight in the fridge).
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