Here’s our family favorite! Very easy and quite quick, this recipe is referred in our household as “lazy varenniki”. Varenniki is a traditionally Ukrainian dish and is a sort of dumplings that can be stuffed with pretty much anything but meat – pickled cabbage, strawberries, cherries and more commonly potatoes. I remember my mom making this dish quite often as I was a kid, and now that I am married and have my own cooking duties and a wish for variety, this recipe came to mind. Again, very easy and delicious!
Cottage Cheese “Lazy” Varenniki (aka Lenivye Varenniki)
3 cups all-purpose flour + extra for kneading
8 oz. small curd cottage cheese (regular or low fat – both work)
1 tsp salt + 1 tsbp salt (for boiling)
1 egg
¾ cup water
1 tbsp butter
Sour cream
Favorite jam or preserves
1. Combine flour, water, salt, egg and cottage cheese in a bowl and make smooth dough. It may be a bit sticky but that’s why the recipe calls for extra flour – to help during kneading and shaping.
2. Put sufficient amount of flour on your working surface and pull the dough out of the bowl. Knead a few minutes then cut into “strips”.
3. Take one strip of dough at a time and shape “sausages” (¾ inch in diameter) by pressing the dough between your hands and rubbing your hands together.
4. Cut “sausages” into ½ inch wide chunks, dunk them in flour and gently press on the cut side to make ovals or circles. Put aside on flour dusted surface.
5. Boil 2 quarts of water with 1 tbsp of salt.
6. Boil the dumplings in batches. Stir as soon as you put them in. Then let them float up and cook for 3-4 minutes.
7. Using slotted spoon remove the dumplings into a bowl with 1 tbsp butter, stir and cover.
When you add additional batches into the bowl with butter, stir them all together to prevent sticking.
Serve hot or warm with sour cream and your favorite jam or preserves. Fresh pureed fruit, or butter and cinnamon and sugar are also great dressings for this dish.
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