Siberian Cookies Recipes

SIBERIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat eggs well till sugar is absorbed.
• Add ground nuts.
• Gradually add flour and cinnamon with a spoon.
• Add butter; mix until well blended.
• Drop by teaspoons unto VERY well greased cookie sheet.
• These spread a lot--leave room.
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, until edges are slightly browned. Cookies will be soft.
• Remove from cookie sheet and allow to harden.

SIBERIAN PELMENI DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the dough, sift the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add a pinch of salt, the egg and 100ml water, gradually mixing the flour into it with your hands to form a firm dough. Knead well for 5-7 mins. Cover and chill for 30 mins. In the meantime prepare your fillings.
• Thoroughly mix the meat filling ingredients together in a large bowl with a pinch of salt.
• To make the vegetable filling, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms, onion, garlic and parsley with the soy sauce for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and stir through the pine nuts and some salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool before handling.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to 1.5mm-thick sheets. For the best results, use a pasta machine.
• Cut out discs of the dough that are about 4-6cm in diameter using a shot glass or pastry cutter. Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each disc, then use a wet finger to brush lightly onto the dough around the filling. Fold each in half to make a half-moon shape, pressing down to seal. Fold the dumpling again so that the pointed edges of the moon are stuck together. The dumplings can be cooked immediately or frozen in flat layers in freezer bags to be cooked at a later date, using the same method as below but increasing the cooking time by a couple of minutes.
• To cook, bring about 3 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan, adding the bay leaves and stock cube. Add the dumplings to the boiling broth in batches of around 10, then cook for 5 mins. They are ready when they float to the surface. The meat ones may take a few minutes more than the veg.
• Ladle the pelmeni into soup bowls with the cooking broth, topping them with the dill, soured cream and black pepper. If you prefer to have them without the broth, use a slotted spoon to move them to a bowl, adding a generous dollop of butter with the dill, soured cream and black pepper.

SICILIAN FIG COOKIES

Steps:

• To make Pastry: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Stir into a smooth dough. Remove dough from bowl and shape into a circle. Cut into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic and chill.
• To make the Filling: Use the zest and juice of the orange and place in large bowl. Mix in figs, raisins and nuts. Process in food processor until evenly chopped. Stir in honey, rum and cinnamon, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 8-inch wide strip about 1/4-inch thick. Cut lengthwise in half, forming two long strips, each about 4 inches wide. Lay strips on work surface. Brush top inch of each with cold water. About 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the dough, place 1/4 of the filling in a 1-inch wide strip, running from end to end. Fold the moistened edge of the dough over the filling and press to seal edges. Cut each strip into 1-inch rectangles and place on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining sections of dough.
• Bake 13 to 16 minutes, or until tops are golden. Let cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks.