Vareniki

Vareniki (Cottage cheese pirogies)

This delicious dish originates from Ukrain and nowadays it is loved in all the Eastern European countries.

For the dough you will need 2 cups of milk, 4 eggs, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 7-8 cups of flour.

For the filling you will need 500 ml of dry curd cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (our store only had half & half, but I prefer to use heavy cream), 2 egg yolks, and salt and pepper to taste. You can also put any berries or fruit of your choice in the filling.

First make your dough. Put 2 cups of milk, 4 eggs (beaten), 2 teaspoons of salt, and 7 cups of flour in a mixer, and mix on low speed until a dough is formed.

Continue adding flour until dough is tough and no longer sticky. My dough was getting too tough for my mixer, so I continued to knead by hand while adding more flour.

Once you have a nice firm dough, cover and place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Add dry curd cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 2 egg yolks, and salt and pepper to a bowl and mix with spoon/fork.

Roll out a portion of the dough on a flat surface (about 1/8″-1/4″ thick), and cut out circles (or squares if you prefer). I used a lid from a juice jug to cut my circles.

Put about 1 teaspoon of cottage cheese in the middle of a circle, fold, and pinch together to seal the perogy.

Place finished pirogies on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Perogies can either be boiled right away, or frozen and bagged to be saved for a later day.

Boil pirogies for approximately 8 minutes, or until done.

Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. Dough: 2 cups Milk
2. 4 eggs
3. 2 tsp salt
4. 7 cups Flour
5. Filling: Cottage Cheese
6. 2 Egg Yolks
7. Salt & Pepper to taste

Dough

1. Put milk, eggs (beaten), salt, and flour in a mixer, and mix on low speed until a dough is formed.
2. Continue adding flour until dough is tough and no longer sticky.  If your dough is getting too tough for your mixer, continue to knead by hand while adding more flour.
3. Once you have a nice firm dough, cover and place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Filling

1. Add dry curd cottage cheese, heavy cream, egg, and salt and pepper to a bowl and mix with spoon/fork.
2. Roll out a portion of the dough on a flat surface (about 1/8″-1/4″ thick), and cut out circles (or squares if you prefer).
3. Put about 1 teaspoon of cottage cheese in the middle of a circle, fold, and pinch together to seal the perogy.
4. Place finished perogies on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.  Perogies can either be boiled right away, or frozen and bagged to be saved for a later day.
5. Boil perogies for approximately 8 minutes, or until done.
6. Serve and enjoy!