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).

THE CLASSIC PIEROGI (POTATO AND CHEESE)

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in salty water until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Drain water from cooked potatoes. Mash them with some warm milk and butter. Mix in cheese.
• Whisk eggs with sour cream and milk until you get an even texture.
• To the liquid ingredients, add in flour and salt.
• Knead the dough by hand or by using a standing mixer. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes once fully kneaded and elastic.
• Roll out the dough on a well floured surface. Cut circles out of the dough using a cookie cutter or a floured glass cup.
• One by one, spoon filling into dough dough. Fold the dough over to create a quesadilla or empanada shape. Pinch edges together with your fingers to seal the filling inside.
• Flour the surface where you plan to place pierogi. Note: You can freeze the pierogi at this point and save them for later.
• Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. One by one, add pierogi into the boiling water. Once they float to the top (10-15 minutes into the cooking), they are fully cooked.
• In a buttered pan, sauté onion to a golden brown. Add pierogi to pan. Fry sides of pierogi to a golden brown.

FARMERS CHEESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Day 1
• Pour room temperature milk, butter milk and vinegar into a large pot. Place the pot onto a cooktop stove. Heat combined milk and vinegar on low (3.5 if your stovetop is digital) temperature for 30 minutes or just before boiling. Remove from the stove and let it stand on the counter top overnight.
• Day 2
• Repeat day one instructions. Set aside and let it stand until evening.
• In the evening pour the milk into the cheesecloth.
• Tie the end of the cheesecloth. Place the pot upside down into the sink. Place cheese onto the pot. Place the cheese under the press by placing cutting board onto the cheese and place heavy object onto the cutting board and let it sit overnight.
• I collect whey by pouring into an empty gallon and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I make many things out of whey: pancaked, muffins, vareniki and pelmeni dough...etc.
• Remove the cheese from under the press.
• Remove the cheese from cheesecloth, place it onto a plate and cover it with plastic food wrap. You can eat the cheese plain or make many delicious recipes too. Next post will be out of this delicious cheese. Enjoy!

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.

FARMERS CHEESE PIEROGI THE REAL DEAL HERE!!!

Steps:

• Cheese Filling.
• Mix all together and chill.
• Dough.
• Mix all the dough ingredients together.
• knead into a pliable dough let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. cover with a WARM bowl then divide the dough into half place 1 half back under the warm bowl with the other roll out on a floured surface roll it thin use a circle cutter. place a spoonful of the cheese mixture to one side of dough moisten edges of circle with water before pressing firmly then drop them into boiling water for about 5 fives or until they float to top.Take out of water you can eat them like that or pan fry in butter but they taste the best fried with a side of sour cream or applesauce -- ENJOY and they freeze well too.

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.