Sernik (Polish-Style Cheesecake Recipe) with Video

Prep Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 15 mins

Servings:

12

A favorite recipe from Martha's mom (who in turn got the recipe from her mother, Martha’s grandmother), this Polish cheesecake is an Easter tradition in the Kostyra family. Instead of the usual cream cheese filling and graham cracker crust, this sernik or country cheesecake has a light, creamy filling made with tangy farmer cheese, sour cream, and plump golden raisins. Lemon and orange zest are the secret ingredients that complement the filling. The crust is a rich pie crust-like pastry made with flour, confectioners’ sugar, butter, egg yolks, and sour cream. Once you try it, you may never go back to your old cheesecake!

mrs kostyra's country cheesecake — Credit:
Bryan Gardner

What Is Farmer's Cheese?

Mrs. Kostyra's Polish cheesecake uses farmer's cheese in the filling. This fresh cheese is available in the dairy aisle of many supermarkets. It is also known as pot cheese and called twaróg or syr, among other names in Poland and other Slavic and Baltic countries. It is similar to drained cottage cheese. European-style farmer's cheese is creamier and more spreadable than the firmer, drier American-style farmer's cheese, but both have a bright flavor and work in this recipe.

Directions

Make dough:

Sift together flour, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Sift again. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add butter; pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add egg yolks and sour cream; pulse until dough just begins to come together. If dough is too dry, add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse.
Knead dough and form into disk; refrigerate:

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until dough comes together. Form into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm but pliable, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven, prepare pan, roll out dough:

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in center. Lightly butter a 10-inch round springform pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 15-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick.
Fit dough into pan and freeze:

Fit dough into bottom and up side of pan. With a paring knife, trim dough to about 1/2 inch below the rim. Crimp edges with the tines of a fork. Freeze until firm, 10 minutes.
Blind bake crust:

Line dough with parchment. Fill with dried beans or pie weights; bake until crust is firm and dry, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and beans; let cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Make filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together eggs and egg white on medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in granulated sugar to combine. Add farmer cheese, sour cream, lemon and orange zests, raisins, and vanilla; mix until fully combined. Transfer filling to cooled crust.
Bake and cool cheesecake:

Bake cheesecake until set at edges but still slightly wobbly in center, 50 to 55 minutes. (If it is browning too quickly during baking, tent edges of crust with foil.) Transfer to wire rack; let cool completely. Refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours; serve.