Homemade dough filled with a sweet cherry filling, boiled and tossed in butter. A classic Ukrainian dessert dish.
- Tart Cherries canned
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In a bowl of a mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine 2 cups milk, 1 egg, 1 stick butter/margarine, 1 tsp salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix at low speeds until thoroughly combined. Add 2 more cups of flour and knead until a smooth dough, that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl forms.
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Let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour, at room temperature.
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Drain the cherries from the liquid over a colander.
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Dust a couple of rimmed baking sheets with flour. Set aside.
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Once the dough has rested, divide it into 4 equal parts and shape them into balls.
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Working with one dough ball at a time, roll it out with a rolling-pin until about 2 mm thin, dusting the surface with flour, to keep the dough from sticking to the table. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles, as close to each other as possible. Collect all the pieces around the circles and add them to the rest of the dough (keep the dough balls covered between use).
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Place 2 cherries in the middle of each circle. Working with one circle at a time, fold it in half, keeping the cherries from moistening the edges (this will keep them from forming a seal), and press the two edges together to form a half circle shaped dumpling. Place it onto the dusted baking sheet. Keep working with the rest of the dough circles and then move onto the next dough ball, until all dough and cherries are used.
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In a large pot, over high heat, bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Working with about 30 vareniki at a time, drop them into the water, one at a time and mix with a spoon. Bring to a boil again and lower the heat to medium. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, after they float to the top or until soft and cooked though. Place 1-2 tablespoons butter into a serving dish. Remove vareniki from the water with a colander and into bowl with the butter. Shake the bowl to coat all vareniki with the butter and to keep them from sticking to each other. Let them sit for about 3-5 minutes, to cool slightly.
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Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of sugar.
If this makes more then you can use at a time, freeze the rest on a flour dusted baking sheet, then put the vareniki in a ziplock bag, until next time.