Sochnik: the symbol of Soviet school canteens or cheesecake a-la russe

Have you ever tried Russian sochnik? 

Sochniki is a popular pastry, supposedly a kind of Soviet-Russian specialty. However, the taste of sochniki somehow reminds one of cheesecake: cream cheese stuffing combined with a shortcrust pastry dough.

The history of Russian sochniki starts with its dough: way back in Ancient Ruspeople made simple scones out of it. Later someone came up with the idea to stuff the dough with a mixture of sour cream and tvorog – the Russian version of cottage cheese. As good a cheesecake as any! But with a traditional Russian kitchen twist.

Sochniki were widely produced in the USSR and literally became the symbol of Soviet school canteens. They are cheap and easy to make. Despite its long history, this tasty dish is still very much loved in Russia: sochniki is one of the best healthy snacks to have on the go or treat your family and friends. You can buy them in almost any store in Russia but we highly recommend baking them yourself. The unique sour cream short pastry with its silky stuffing will leave you wanting more!

Ingredients for dough:

• 300g plain flour
• 100g unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons plain yoghurt or sour cream
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

Ingredients for filling:

• 300g tvorog / cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 egg white
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• pinch of salt
• pinch of vanilla seeds
• 1 egg yolk + 2 tablespoons water for egg wash

Instructions:

For the dough, first sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Chop the butter into pieces and work it into the flour with your hands until you get short consistency.

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