Vareniki With Farmers Cheese Recipes

LENIVIE VARENIKI (UKRAINIAN FARMER CHEESE GNUDI)

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs using a fork. Add the farmer cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt and stir until smooth. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of the flour and gently fold it into the dough. The final dough should be light but no longer sticky to the touch. Using your hands, continue incorporating another tablespoon or two of the flour into the dough until it is no longer sticky.
• Prepare a lightly floured platter/tray for the vareniki.
• Divide the dough into 3 pieces and place 1 piece onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll the dough into a log about 1″ in diameter. Cut the log into 3/4″ pieces; if your knife is sticking, sprinkle the dough lightly with a bit of flour. Place the cut pieces on the prepared platter and continue with the 2 remaining pieces of dough.
• Pour the melted butter into a large serving bowl; set aside.
• Once the water is boiling, gently drop the vareniki into the pot along the sides of the pot to prevent a splash. Using a slotted spoon, gently stir the water. Cook the vareniki in batches as to not overcrowd the pot. Once the vareniki float to the top, about 1 minute, cook them for an additional 30 seconds and transfer them to the serving bowl with the butter. Gently toss in butter and continue boiling the rest.
• Serve lenivie vareniki hot, with sour cream and extra sugar for sprinkling. (Leftover vareniki can be reheated in a skillet with a bit of butter).

PIEROGI WITH FARMERS CHEESE (VARENIKI RECIPE)

Steps:

• Mix sugar, farmers cheese and egg, until it's fully mixed in. Set it aside.
• Whisk eggs together with sour cream, lukewarm water and milk until you get an even texture.
• To the liquid ingredients, add in flour, sugar and salt. Knead the dough by hand or a stand-up mixer until it's no longer sticky.
• Roll out the dough on a well floured surface. Using a cup, stamp out circles. Flour the cup to make it easier to cut circles.
• One by one fill your circles with filling, placing the filling in the center.
• Fold over the edges and tighten them up with your fingers, making sure it's firm enough for your filling not to fall out.
• Bring a pot of water up to boil. Add 10-20 pierogi, cook until they float up to the top. Drain and top with melted unsalted butter. Optionally, serve with sour cream, jam or sugar.Tip: If freezing the pierogi, use a floured cooking sheet or cutting board. Once the pierogi are fully frozen, move them to a ziplock bag.

COTTAGE CHEESE VARENIKI RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Dough: First mix flour with the salt. Combine the egg, milk and cottage cheese in blender. Stir combination into the flour and salt and knead to make a soft dough. Cover and let the dough stand for 10 minutes. Filling: In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese with the egg, and season to taste with salt. The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Roll the dough quite thin on a floured board. Cut rounds with a large biscuit cutter. Put a round of dough on the palm of your hand. Place a spoonful of the cheese filling on the dough, fold it over to form a half circle, and press the edges together with your fingers. The edges should be free of filling. Be sure that the edges are sealed well to prevent the filling from running out. Place the vareniki on a floured board or a kitchen towel (don't crowd them), and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent drying. Drop a few vareniki at a time into a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water. Stir very gently with a wooden spoon to separate the vareniki and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Continue boiling for 3 or 4 minutes. Vareniki are ready when they are well puffed. Remove them with a slotted spoon. Place in a deep dish, sprinkle generously with melted butter, and toss very gently to coat them evenly with butter. Serve in a large dish without piling or crowding them. The traditional accompaniment is sour cream. Sour cream, may be used in the filling if the cottage cheese is very dry.

VARENIKI WITH FARMER'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix the flour and salt, place into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Crack the egg and add oil into the flour. Using a fork, stir into the flour. Slowly add the water while kneading, until the dough forms a sticky ball.
• Continue to knead the dough on a floured surface until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
• Cover the dough with a bowl and allow to rest for about an hour. If you're in a hurry you can use after 30 minutes of rest, but an hour is best.
• While the dough is resting, prepare the Farmer's Cheese filling. In a bowl, mix together Farmer's Cheese, eggs and salt until combined.
• Roll out the dough about ⅛" thin on a lightly floured surface. Using a 3" cookie cutter, cut out circles. Re-mix, roll out and reuse the extra dough to make more circles. Cover the dough that you aren't using so it doesn't dry out.
• Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of the circle. Carefully fold in half and pinch to seal the Varenik shut. Careful not to have the filling touching the edges, or it will unseal in the water.
• Place the Vareniki on a tray and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Place the individually frozen Vareniki into a Ziplock bag for an easy dinner later.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the Vareniki into the water and boil until they float to the top, about 5-7 minutes. Frozen Vareniki will take longer. Serve tossed in butter and sour cream.

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.

VARENIKI WITH FARMERS CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine ½ a cup of sugar with 2 pounds of farmer's cheese and 1 egg in a bowl. When the ingredients are fully mixed, set to one side.
• Mix 2 eggs together with 2 tablespoons of sour cream, ½ a cup of lukewarm water and 1 cup of milk until you have a smooth mixture.
• Add 4 cups of flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring mixture together and knead the dough by hand or using a stand-up mixer until it is no longer sticky.
• Roll the pierogi dough on a floured surface. Cut out dough circles using a floured cup or cookie cutters.
• Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each dough circle.
• Fold each dough piece in half and press the edges together firmly using your fingers. Make sure that the seal is tight enough for your filling not to fall out. Use your fingers to create a scalloped edge by pinching along the sealed dough.
• Repeat the process until all the dough and filling is used.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Place 10-20 pierogi in the pan and cook until the dumplings float to the top. Drain and top with melted unsalted butter. Repeat until all the pierogi are cooked.
• Serve with sour cream, jam or sugar.

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.

VARENIKI (UKRAINIAN FILLED DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• In a food processor, blend the flour and 1/2 tsp salt. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and the oil through the feed tube. then pour in 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 until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover with a cotton towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough in half and shape into two balls. Keep one ball covered with the towel while working with the other ball. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a very thin sheet, about 1/16 inch thick, making sure it doesn't tear. With a round cookie cutter, cut out circles about 3 inches in diameter. Gather the scraps into a ball and set aside, covered.
• Have a bowl with the egg white near you. Place a heaping tsp of the desired filling in the middle of each circle. Fold the dough over the filling to form a semi-circle. Brush the edges with the egg white and press the edges firmly together with the tines of a fork to seal. Place the vareniki as they are made on a lightly floured large baking sheet about 1 inch apart and keep covered with a damp cloth.
• When you have finished making this batch of vareniki, roll out the 2nd ball of dough and make a second batch. Add the leftover scraps left from the first batch, knead into a ball, and roll out for a final batch of vareniki.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium so the water simmers and carefully lower half the vareniki into the water. Boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, until they rise to the surface, and are cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the vareniki to a colander and drain thoroughly. Transfer to a deep serving bowl and toss with half the butter.
• Cook the rest of the vareniki in the same way.
• Makes 50 to 55 vareniki. (Serves 4 people as an entree.).
• For the Potato Filling:.
• Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Add the sauteed onion along with the cooking fat and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, then use to fill the vareniki.
• For the Cheese Filling:.
• In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix thoroughly. Use as a filling for the vareniki.
• For the Sauerkraut Filling:.
• Rinse and squeeze thoroughly to dry the sauerkraut.
• Saute the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it renders its fat. Remove the bacon and reserve. Drain off all but 2 Tbsp fat.
• Add the onion to the skillet and saute, stirring frequently over medium heat until nocely browned, almost 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the sauerkraut, and saute, stirring, until softened and cooked throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, and broth. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before using to fill the vareniki. Use the reserved bacon as a topping.
• For the Cherry Filling:.
• If you are using the fresh cherries, mix them with the 1/2 cup sugar and leave in a warm place for several hours until they begin to give off their juice. Strain the juice. You should have about 2 cups. If less, add canned or bottled cherry juice.
• If you are using canned cherries, drain them thoroughly and reserve 2 cups of the syrup. Mix the canned cherrieswith the 1/4 cup sugar. Reserve several cherries for garnish.
• In a small saucepan, bring the reserved juice or syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Let boil until reduced to about 1 cup. Remove from the heat, stir in the liqueur, and let cool to room temperature. Reserve to pour over the filled and colled vareniki.
• Toss the cherries with the cornstarch. fill each vareniki with 2 fresh or 4 canned cherries, sealing especially tightly.