Perogies With Strawberries Vareniki Recipes

PEROGIES WITH STRAWBERRIES - VARENIKI

Steps:

• Rinse strawberries, cut out the cores and dice them into small pieces. (My 11-year-old, Ella, picked these from the garden and placed a little strawberry flower on them and said, "Mom, include the flower in the picture for cuteness." How adorable is that? :) And a good idea for display.) Refrigerate diced strawberries until ready. (If they sit on the counter too long, once cut, they start to decay in room temperature.)
• Dough Instructions:
• I use this dough recipe for both Vareniki (Pierogies), with many filling variations, and for Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings).
• Prepare the dry ingredients first. Sift flour into a medium bowl. Add baking soda and salt. Combine dry ingredients and set aside until ready for use.
• Pour whey into the electric mixer bowl, then add egg. Mix on medium speed for a minute or until well blended.
• Add half of the dry ingredients into the whey mixture and mix with the dough hook attachment on the lowest speed. Add the rest of the flour mixture ½ cup at a time, afterward. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula occasionally to mix in all the flour. (Failing to do this step leaves out some measured out and necessary ingredients, and so changes the consistency of the dough. After all the flour mixture is incorporated, the dough shouldn't be as wet and sticky.) After all of the ingredients are well combined, continue mixing the dough for a couple of minutes to knead out any clumps. Now the dough is ready for multiple uses. It's really as simple as that!
• Cutting out the Dough for Vareniki:
• Remove the dough from the bowl with a spatula. (It's easier than using unfloured hand, which the dough would stick to.) Place dough onto a lightly floured working space. Shape the dough into a log. Cut it in half and then each piece in half again (so you have 4 equal size chunks).
• Place three of the chunks back into the bowl until ready for use, and cover with plastic food wrap (to prevent from drying and crusting). Work with one chunk of dough at a time. Roll it out into a fairly thin and long log (about 1" in diameter). Then slice the log 1" apart (to give you 1" in height and 1" in width dough pieces). Many cooks will roll out a large thin circle and press out circular pieces with a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass. I found this way to be more straining and time consuming, as it requires more rolling. In this approach, you would need to knead the leftover dough back into a sphere, roll out another flat circle, and then press out more small circles, and repeat these steps until you've run out of dough. But more crucially, this process requires more flour for kneading and rolling. As a result, your dough becomes more compacted and dense, which makes it tough and rubbery once cooked. I found that after several kneading/rolling cycles the dough was not as soft anymore; it becomes tougher and loses elasticity. My mom preferred to use the approach in this post, and I absolutely loved how much quicker it was to section out and roll each varenik portion individually. Especially if you have a partner helping you. One person may roll out the portions while the other makes the vareniki. A cooking buddy will help you slash the prep time quite a bit.
• Dip each sticky side of the dough portion into flour. Flatten it down with your hand and roll it out with a roller. I make the portion disks more of an oval shape. I find it easier to form and pinch vareniki dough together when you have a little more dough to work with. Plus it makes the completed varenik look more round than long.
• Place strawberry filling on the dough disk, fold together the flaps, and pinch the edges together from one end to the other to make a tight zigzag. Turn the varenik over in your hand and repeat the pinching and shaping step. Repeat all of the above steps with the remaining dough.
• Cooking Instructions:
• Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a gentle boil - on medium setting. Add vareniki into the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, turning them over every 30 seconds or so. Not turning them over will allow too much exposure to air and cooler temperature and cause tearing or uneven cooking. This step is important to achieve the desired plump and fluffy results you want. (Also, don't cook too many vareniki at once because it will take you a bit more time to take them all out, and the last ones out will overcook.)
• Remove vareniki from the water and into a bowl with a lid. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover with lid and swoosh the sugared vareniki around in the bowl to glaze them so that they won't stick to each other once cooled.
• Serve warm with a cup of cold milk. Yum, yum! Enjoy!

VARENIKI (RUSSIAN PIEROGI) WITH POTATOES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash; season with salt and pepper.
• Combine flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl while potatoes are cooking. Stir sour cream and baking soda together in a second bowl. Add water to flour mixture and blend in, followed by sour cream mixture. Knead into a smooth dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook onions until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add to mashed potatoes.
• Divide dough into 4 portions and roll each portion into a 1 1/2-inch thick rope. Cut ropes into small 1/2-inch pieces. Press each dough piece into a small flat circle and place 1 teaspoon of potato filling in the center. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape and seal edges.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the vareniki in batches and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain.

VARENIKI- UKRANIAN PIEROGIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, blend the flour and the salt. With the motor running, add the egg and the oil, and then pour the water in a slow, steady stream until the dough forms a ball around the blade. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out one of the balls very thinly, to about 1/16th of an inch, making sure that it doesn't tear. With a cookie cutter, or a cup, cut out circles about 3 inches in diameter. Place a heaping teaspoon of the desired filling in the middle of a circle. Fold the dough over to form a semi-circle. Brush the edges with the egg and press firmly with the tines of the fork to seal. Place the vareniki as they are made on a large, lightly floured, platter, and cover with a damp cloth, while making the next batch. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and carefully lower half of the vareniki into the water. Boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until they rise to the surface, about 6 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the vareniki into a colander and drain thoroughly. Transfer into a deep serving bowl and toss with half of the butter.
• In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion until deeply colored, about 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Add the Sauteed onion along with the cooking fat and mix well. Fill the vareniki and cook as directed.
• In a large skillet, saute the bacon over medium heat until it renders its fat. Remove the bacon and drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until nicely browned. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the sauerkraut and saute, stirring until limp and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before filling. Use the reserved bacon for topping.;
• Combine all the filling ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fill and cook as directed. This filling can be either sweet or savory, so add salt or sugar, accordingly. Serve with sour cream and confectioners' sugar, if sweet.

BABCHA'S MEAT-FILLED VARENYKY (PEROGIES)

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain in a sieve or colander and rinse off excess fat with hot water.
• Mash potatoes with milk in a bowl until smooth; stir in onion, garlic, 1 pinch salt, and pepper. Mix ground beef into potato mixture until filling is evenly combined.
• Whisk flour and 4 teaspoons salt together in a deep bowl; stir in 1 cup water and eggs until dough is soft. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal parts and arrange on a baking sheet; cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Roll each piece of dough on a floured work surface until thin; cut into rounds using the rim of a large-mouth cup or large cookie cutter.
• Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons filling onto each round. Fold dough over filling creating a 1/2 circle; press edges together, sealing with a dash of water if needed. Arrange varenyky in a single layer on plates and cover with a clean towel.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook 2 to 3 varenyky at a time in boiling water until cooked through and dough is puffed, about 4 minutes. Remove varenyky with a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining varenyky.

PIEROGI AND VARENIKI DOUGH

Steps:

• Stir together flours in a bowl. Make a well in flour and add eggs, salt, and water, then stir together with a fork without touching flour. Continue stirring, gradually incorporating flour into well until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding only as much additional flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (Dough will be soft.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes.

PIEROGI AND VARENIKI DOUGH

Steps:

• Stir together flours in a bowl. Make a well in flour and add eggs, salt, and water, then stir together with a fork without touching flour. Continue stirring, gradually incorporating flour into well until a soft dough forms.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding only as much additional flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (Dough will be soft.)
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes.

RUSSIAN VORENIKI (VARENIKI, PEROGIES) RICOTTA CHEESE AND ONIONS

Steps:

• DOUGH PREPARATION--------------.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, whipping cream and salt and whisk well to blend.
• Add baking powder and stir in gently.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and egg mixture and mix well to incorporate.
• Add additional flour if necessary so that dough does not stick to the bowl or feel sticky.
• Form dough into a ball and knead about 10 times.
• Divide dough in half, form into balls, wrap each ball in plastic wrap and set aside.
• FILLING--------------.
• Squeeze out as much liquid from Ricotta cheese and discard.
• In a large mixing bowl, add Ricotta cheese and beaten eggs and mix well to blend.
• Add chopped green onions, salt and black pepper and mix to incorporate.
• Break off pieces of dough and form into balls about the size of a golf ball.
• On a floured surface, roll out each ball to a round about 1/16 inch thickness, turning at least once during rolling.
• Place dough into a 5 inch"MINI FORM" and make sure that the dough projects over the edges.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the centre, lift one edge of the"MINI FORM" and lightly press push the filling down.
• Now fold the"MINI FORM" completely over and squeeze tightly.
• Remove any excess dough by running your finger around the folded edge and set dough aside to be use again.
• Continue to form the Voreniki until all dough and filling are used up.
• If you have any filling left over, cover and refrigerate to be used within 2 days.
• TO COOK--------------.
• Fill a pasta cooker or a large cooking pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a rolling boil.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
• While the water is boiling, drop 6 formed Voreniki, stir once carefully with a slotted spoon so that the Voreniki do not stick together.
• Cook for 3 minutes total as they will rise to the surface after cooking for about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
• If desired, sprinkle some melted butter over the Voreniki.
• DO NOT add melted butter if you are going to freeze the Voreniki.
• Serve immediately with additional melted butter, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped green onions or chives.
• To reheat, you can drop them again into boiling water for about 1 1/2 minutes.
• You can also fry the Voreniki in a small amount of butter, cover and fry on medium-high for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned.
• TO FREEZE--------------.
• Place on a tray or cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze.
• Then package them in zip-loc bags or vacuum seal in bags in desired amounts.
• To reheat frozen Voreniki; let thaw for about 1/2 hour and then fry in a small almount of butter as noted above.