Here’s A Simple Sochniki Recipe for Perfect Cheesy Cookies!
If you’re looking for a cookie that is creamy, cheesy, crumbly, and a little sweet, Sochniki may be the treat for you.
Popular in Ukraine – but also found in surrounding countries like Russia – these classic sweet cheese cookies are surprisingly easy to make.
Traditionally made with tvorog and smetana (farmer’s cheese and sour cream), these dessert cookies and their shortcrust shell can also be made with cottage cheese for an equally delicious taste!
Ingredients
If you want to make these classic Ukrainian cookies, here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour – The base of the dough.
- Eggs – For the dough and the filling.
- Butter – To make the shortcrust tender and flaky. Use good quality butter.
- Powdered sugar – To add sweetness to the dough.
- Baking powder – Helps the dough rise.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor of the dough.
- Cottage cheese – To make the filling. Alternatively, use tvorog if you can find it.
- Sour cream – Makes the filling creamy and slightly tangy.
- Granulated sugar – To sweeten the filling.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you head into the kitchen to make these delicious cookies, read through these recipe tips so that you know just what to expect!
- If you can find it, you can use tvorog instead of cottage cheese. Alternatively, you can also use farmer’s cheese or ricotta cheese. Just be sure to drain them well.
- If your cottage cheese is too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons of starch to the filling.
- You can use ready-made dough (from the store) if you don’t want to make your own.
- You can also use puff pastry, but classic sochniki are made with shortcrust pastry.
- Don’t overfill the sochniki or they might burst open during baking.
- You can freeze the sochniki before baking and bake them later when you need them.
- Don’t overbake the sochniki as this could make them dry.
- The usual filling is plain cheese, but you can add some variations like berries or other fruits if you like.
How to Make Sochniki – Step by Step Instructions
If you’re wondering how to make these sochniki with cheese, you can follow along in this section and see exactly how it’s done.
We’ve included the recipe process photos so that you can see what each step looks like. You’ll also find the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the soft diced butter, powdered sugar and salt with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Add the egg and egg white and beat again until well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and knead into a firm shortcrust pastry.
Wrap the shortcrust pastry in cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.
In the meantime, let’s make the filling. Blend the cottage cheese with an immersion blender or mash it with a fork.
Add the egg, granulated sugar, sour cream and flour.
Mix everything thoroughly until well combined.
Once the dough has chilled in the fridge for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
While you wait for the oven to preheat, divide the shortbread dough into 4 parts. Roll one part between two sheets of parchment into a thin layer, about 1/8 inch thick.
Use a cookie cutter to cut out 4-inch circles.
Place a circle of dough on the prepared baking sheet and put 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese filling on one half.
Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and press down lightly (so that the cookie does not open during baking).
Continue making sochniki until you run out of dough or filling.
Brush the sochniki with the egg yolk and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and puffy.
Remove the baked sochniki from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
These sweet cheese cookies taste best when they are freshly baked. Once the sochniki have cooled, you can store them at room temperature in a sealed container with a lid for about 2 days.
If you want to store them for longer, you can put them in the fridge for about 3-4 days. However, keep in mind that this will change the texture of the cookies.
Alternatively, you can also freeze some of the sochniki before baking and then just bake them when you need them.
Related Recipes
For more awesome sweet Slavic recipes (some of which include baking with cottage cheese), here are some great ideas:
- Syrniki (Cheese Pancakes)
- Verguny (Ukrainian Brushwood Cookies)
- Ponchiki (Russian Cheese Donuts)
- Medovik (Russian Honey Cake)
Sochniki (Ukrainian Cheese Cookies)
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white, (egg yolk will be used in later step)
- 1/2 cup butter, soft and cubed
- 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk, for brushing
Instructions
Make The Dough
- In a bowl, mix flour and baking powder.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- In another bowl, beat soft cubed butter, powdered sugar and salt with an electric mixer until fluffy.1/2 cup butter, 5 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1/3 teaspoon salt
- Add the egg and egg white and beat again until well combined.1 egg, 1 egg white
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and knead into a firm shortcrust pastry.
- Wrap the shortcrust pastry in cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.
Make The Filling
- Blend the cottage cheese with an immersion blender or mash it with a fork.1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- Add the egg, granulated sugar, sour cream and flour. Mix everything thoroughly.1 egg, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Assemble & Bake
- Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- Divide the shortbread dough into 4 parts. Roll one part between two sheets of parchment into a thin layer, about 1/8 inch thick.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out 4-inch circles. Place a circle of dough on the prepared baking sheet and put 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese filling on one half.
- Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and press down lightly (so that the cookie does not "open" during baking). Continue making sochniki until you run out of dough or filling.
- Brush the sochniki with the egg yolk and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and puffy.1 egg yolk
- Remove the baked sochniki from the oven and let them cool down slightly before serving.
Notes
- You can use tvorog instead of cottage cheese. Alternatively, you can also use farmer’s cheese or ricotta cheese. Just make sure to drain them well.
- If your cottage cheese is too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons of starch to the filling.
- You can use ready-made dough (from the store) if you don’t want to make your own.
- Puff pastry is also suitable, but classic sochniki are made with shortcrust pastry.
- Don’t overfill the sochniki or they might burst open during baking.
- You can freeze the sochniki before baking and bake them later when you need them.
- Don’t overbake the sochniki as this could make them dry.
- The usual filling is plain cheese, but you can add some variations like berries or other fruits if you like.
- You can store the cookies in a container with a lid at room temperature for about 2 days or in the fridge for 3-4 days (but this will change the texture).
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
