21 Ukrainian Desserts You Need to Try
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Loading... - Vanessa Davis
- 07 Feb 2022
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With their elaborate decadence, hearty compositions, and delicately balanced sweet and savory flavor profiles, the desserts of Ukraine will leave you wanting more, no matter how full you’re feeling. Let’s delve in, and discover 21 of the country’s must-try desserts as recommended by a local.
Ukrainian Desserts to Try
1 – Syrnyky (Ukrainian: Сирники) – Fried Curd Cheese Pancakes
You simply cannot imagine a traditional Ukrainian breakfast without syrnyky. Toasty crust, soft, and delicate filling, light vanilla flavor – they simply melt in your mouth.
Syrnyky (also spelled as syrniki) are usually made from fresh and creamy curd cheese, to which eggs, flour, and sugar are added. There are some popular variations to this classic recipe, which feature vanilla, raisins, or orange peel. Shaped as small cakes, once prepared syrnyky are pan-fried in sunflower oil or butter before being served stacked.
Most typically syrnyky are served with sour cream, jam, and honey. Berries, slices of fruit, and powdered sugar are often used as toppings.
2 – Verhuny (Вергуни) – Deep-Fried Dough Cookies / Angel Wings
Verhuny are famous Ukrainian pastry crisps, made from non-yeast dough with kefir. They have an intricate brushwood shape, achieved by cutting the dough into strips.
The ends of each strip are pulled through a slash in the middle, forming a knot. Traditionally, verhuny used to be fried in lard, but in the past decades, it has become more common to fry the cookies in sunflower oil.
A common way to serve verhuny is fresh from the pan, while still airy and crispy. It’s an absolute must to top them with powdered sugar, adding a lightly sweet flavor, and enjoying these delicious cookies with a cup of cocoa or tea.
Angel wings pastries are common to many European cuisines such as Bulgarian, Croatian, French, Lithuanian, Polish, Hungarian, and others. They go by different names in other cuisines and can use different ingredients.
3 – Kyiv Cake (КиївÑький торт) – Hazelnut Meringue Cake
One of the most recognizable symbols of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv Cake has been popular in many Eastern European countries over the last half a century. Surprisingly enough, it was invented by chance – thanks to a confectioner’s mistake.
Kyiv Cake consists of two sponge layers of meringue, with sugar, hazelnuts, and flour, filled with Charlotte cream, and sealed with chocolate buttercream. The top is usually covered with meringue crumbs, and decorated with buttercream flowers.
The combination of the creamy filling with the crunchy texture with every mouthful is truly unforgettable, and Kyiv Cake is a definite must-try for anyone traveling around Ukraine.
4 – Nalysnyky (ÐалиÑники) – Filled Crepes
Most countries have their own variations of pancake or crepes, and Ukraine is no exception. Nalysnyky are crepes, made from a batter of eggs, sugar, milk, and flour.
What makes nalysnyky special is that they’re never served plain. Right after frying, they’re rolled with curd cheese, berries, jam, or any other filling, depending on preference.
It’s very common in Ukraine to make a cake of several nalysnyky, stacking them on top of each other, and adding a chocolate-cream glaze, creating a true show-stopper of a dessert.
5 – Apple Solozhenik (Яблучний Ñоложеник) – Apple Meringue Crepe Cake
Like many Ukrainian foods, solozhenik was originally a festive dessert, cooked during the Easter holidays. Over time, it has become more common to eat at all times of the year, and many varieties of this cake have appeared. However, the most traditional version remains apple solozhenik.
Essentially, apple solozhenik is a baked dessert of a stack of pancakes, sandwiching layers of with fried apples, coated with whipped egg whites. Out of the oven and baked correctly, it has a crispy top, while its base remains soft.
Solozhenik is a rich and hearty dessert, making it an excellent choice for afternoon tea during wintertime.
6 – Varenyky with Cherries (Вареники з вишнею) – Cherry Dumplings
Varenyky with cherries are an extremely popular national dessert, likely to be found not only in most traditional Ukrainian restaurants, but also in supermarkets and department stores. Unlike other dumpling varieties, varenyky are cooked in boiling water, and never fried.
Their iconic semicircle shape is achieved by using a regular glass to cut the unleavened dough varenyky are made from. Each even dough circle is then filled with a couple of cherries, and carefully folded in half.
Varenyky are the only dessert from this list that can be enjoyed as lunch. They’re best served with a generous dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with sugar. Read More…
