Baked Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Usually, cheesecakes are formed into pancakes and fried in vegetable oil. But I want to suggest a different, more diet-friendly option. Instead of frying, we will bake the cheesecakes in the oven... and to make it even more interesting, they will look like little muffins. The ingredients are pretty standard: cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, flour... but they turn out more interesting - with a tender, airy, juicy texture and a beautiful shape. Plus, they are low in calories and, importantly, free you from standing at the stove for too long. So, shall we get started?

When the cottage cheese mixture becomes homogeneous, add sifted flour and raisins. Mix everything well again.

First, heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Mix thoroughly until smooth.

Next, add the eggs and continue mixing until well combined.

Finally, pour the melted butter into the bowl and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

Now it's time to add the beaten egg whites. Gently fold them into the mixture using a silicone spatula, making sure to preserve the airiness of the batter as much as possible. This is because we are not using any additional leavening agents to make the batter rise, and the bubbles in the beaten egg whites will serve that function.

Divide the batter into the molds. You can use regular muffin tins, but it's more convenient to use silicone molds - the baked cheese pancakes come out easily from them! Bake the pancakes in the oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes. Don't rush to remove them immediately - let them rest in the oven for about 10 minutes. Why? To ensure that the pancakes don't collapse prematurely and to allow them to cool slightly for easier removal.

While the pancakes are still slightly warm, serve them with your desired accompaniments, such as sour cream, berry sauce, or simply dusted with powdered sugar. Enjoy your meal and have a great day!