Vareniki

I was always one of those people who intrinsically believed the best foods were Italian. I grew up Italian, and everything my family made, to my great joy, was comfort food. Food and family were always connected, and made communally.

          When I became an adult, I discovered that every culture and ethnicity shares some sort of pasta or bread wrapped around a wonderful filling. From there, it gets grilled, fried, baked, or boiled. Even if Italians didn’t invent it, it’s still wonderful and delicious.

          With my friends who are of Polish descent, I have made pierogi. I’m unopposed to buying them frozen, filled with potatoes and cheddar. If I had a babushka shaking a fist at me for doing this, I’d be as uncomfortable as if my little Italian grandmothers were shaking their heads at me for using frozen meatballs or sauce from a jar.

          Meanwhile, this recipe, “Vareniki,” comes to you because of my friend whose parents came to the United States from Ukraine. His family ate a lot of these dumplings, and when I called them “pierogis” he was quick to correct me. He passed away at the end of 2020, and I am honoring him here by sharing this.

          I was used to preparing them by boiling, then browning them in a frying pan, with butter. He said they were never fried unless they were leftover and reheated. I served them with caramelized onions, and sour cream. Mine were potato-filled. He said no, not at his house. As long as you’re not fighting over them, they are an ultimate comfort food: hot, steamy, creamy, and abundant! Whether they’re the main dish or on the side, they’re incredible, and inexpensive. He called them peasant food. I call them mouth-watering.

I have adapted a recipe from momdish.com to share here. It makes about 30. A serving is technically 3, but you’ll want more.

FILLING

2 lb farmers cheese (CAN USE RICOTTA, NEUFCHATEL, QUESO BLANCO, CREAMED COTTAGE CHEESE…)

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

Mix together and set aside.

DOUGH

2 eggs

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 cup milk

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

Whisk eggs together with lukewarm water and milk until you get an even texture. To the liquid ingredients, add in flour and salt. Knead the dough by hand or a stand mixer until it's no longer sticky.

ASSEMBLING

Roll out the dough on a well floured surface. Using a cup or biscuit cutter you have dipped in flour, stamp out circles. One by one fill your circles with filling, placing the filling in the center. A PASTA ROLLER IS GREAT FOR THIS!
Fold over the edges and tighten them up by pinching closed with your fingers or a fork, making sure it's firm enough for your filling not to fall out.

COOKING

Bring a large pot of salted water 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, or powdered sugar. DO NOT OVERCOOK, OR THEY WILL OPEN UP IN THE POT.

You can also serve with these choices of toppings: sauteed mushrooms, bacon bits, caramelized onions, sour cream, or even fruit.

 Tip: You may wish to freeze them uncooked and flat on a floured or greased cooking sheet or cutting board. Once the pierogi are fully frozen, move them to a ziplock bag. They can be boiled right from the freezer.