Best Ukrainian Blueberry Varenyky W Blueberry Sauce Perogypierogi Recipes

UKRAINIAN OLHA'S VARENYKY (PEROGIES)

Steps:

• To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the soft butter and evaporated milk; stir gently until all the liquid is absorbed. Add water only as needed, kneading continuously until dough sticks together. Place dough into a greased bowl, turn to coat, and let rest for 30 minutes.
• To make the potato filling, place potatoes into a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Saute onions in butter until tender. Mix the onions into the potatoes along with the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To make the sauerkraut and cabbage filling, pour the drained sauerkraut into a large saucepan. In a medium skillet, saute 2 onions in 1/2 cup butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir the onions into the sauerkraut along with the cabbage and chicken bouillon cube. Cook over low heat until liquid evaporates. Season with pepper and remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool, then run through a grinder or food processor.
• Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into 3 inch circles. Place one tablespoon of filling onto one side of the circle. Fold the other half over and press the edges to seal. Place finished dumplings onto a floured tray and keep covered.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop 10 or so dumplings into the water at a time. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove to a colander to drain. Place finished dumplings onto a lightly oiled dish and turn them to coat with a thin layer. This will keep them from sticking together. Serve dumplings with fried onions and sour cream. Cooled dumplings also can be fried in oil and butter for a nice crispy surface.

UKRAINIAN BLUEBERRY DUMPLINGS (VARENYKY)

Steps:

• Gather the dough ingredients.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Add the egg and enough water to make a medium-soft dough.
• Knead in a stand mixer or by hand until smooth. But don't overwork the dough because it will become tough.
• Halve the dough and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Gather the filling ingredients.
• In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, optional liquor or lemon juice and cinnamon and cook over low heat until blueberries come to a boil.
• Reduce heat, simmer 2 minutes and remove from heat. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough half 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cutter or a glass, cut out circles of dough. Remove scraps.
• Place a circle in the palm of your hand and, using a slotted spoon, place 3 or 4 blueberries on each round (leaving the sauce in the pan).
• Fold the dough over to form a half-circle and press the edges together until well sealed and there is no air trapped in the dumpling, and the edges are free of filling.
• Alternatively, the dough can be cut into 2 1/2-inch squares, filled and folded into triangles.
• Place filled dumplings on a lightly floured surface and cover with a tea towel to prevent drying. Re-roll scraps and continue with remaining dough.
• Drop 6 varenyky at a time into boiling, salted water. Stir gently to separate and prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Boil rapidly for 3 to 4 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size of the varenyky and thickness of the dough.
• Varenyky are done when well puffed. Remove from water with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain well in a colander.
• Place in a shallow dish and coat generously with melted butter, tossing to prevent sticking. Cover and keep hot until all the varenyky are boiled.
• Gather the remaining ingredients.
• Make the blueberry sauce by adding cornstarch to the blueberry liquid left in the saucepan and heat over low until slightly thickened.
• Dust cooked varenyky with confectioners' sugar and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Drizzle blueberry sauce on the varenyky or pass in a small pitcher at the table.

UKRAINIAN BLUEBERRY VARENYKY W. BLUEBERRY SAUCE (PEROGY/PIEROGI)

Steps:

• FOR THE SAUCE: In saucepan, stir together blueberries, sugar and flour; add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Simmer over low heat until blueberries are soft and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• FOR THE DOUGH: In large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. In separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk and butter; stir into flour mixture. Add cold water, 1 tablespoons at a time (6 to 7 tablespoons total), until soft dough is formed. Knead until dough is smooth. Cover with plastic and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll dough to scant 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 3 inch rounds.
• FILLING: Whisk together sugar and flour; set aside. Stretch out cut out dough rounds slightly and fill each round with scant 1 teaspoons flour/ sugar mixture and 1 tablespoons blueberries. Pull dough over filling; pinch edges together to seal.
• Continue until dough and filling are used up, letting reworked scraps rest slightly before rolling (keep unrolled dough and filled dumplings covered with a clean tea towel).
• In large pot of lightly salted boiled water, boil dumpling, in batches if necessary, until dough is tender at thickest edges, about 10 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to serving plate; drizzle with butter to prevent sticking. Serve with blueberry sauce and sour cream on the side. Makes 32 to 36 dumplings.
• FOOD TIP: any leftover dough can be rolled into noodles, boiled and served with butter or sour cream.

UKRAINIAN VARENYKY WITH ONION BUTTER (PEROGIES)

Steps:

• DOUGH: Combine flour, baking powder add salt in food processor.
• Process for 3 seconds.
• With motor running, slowly add cooking oil and enough warm water through feed chute until a ball begins to form.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.
• Knead 3 to 4 times until smooth.
• Cover with plastic wrap.
• Let stand for 20 minutes.
• ONION BUTTER: Saute onion in butter in small saucepan on medium-low for about 10 minutes until onion is soft but not brown.
• Keep hot.
• TWO CHEESE POTATO FILLING: Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl until Cheddar cheese melts and mixture is evenly moist.
• Makes about 2 1/4 cups filling.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions.
• Roll out 1 portion into a rope about 12 inches long.
• Keep other portions covered.
• Cut at 1 inch intervals.
• Press balls slightly to flatten.
• Cover with plastic wrap.
• Stretch and press 1 ball to about 2 1/2 inches in diameter or roll out with rolling pin.
• Place in palm of hand.
• Place about 2 teaspoons filling centre.
• I like to make the potato filling a day ahead so that it is cold.
• Fold dough in half.
• With well floured fingers, pinch edges firmly together to seal.
• Edges of dough may be moistened if desired.
• Arrange in single layer on lightly floured tea towel-lined baking sheet.
• Cover with tea towel to prevent drying.
• Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Cook varenyky, in batches, in boiling water and salt in large pot or Dutch oven for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until varenyky float to top.
• Allow to bob for 1 minute.
• Remove using slotted spoon.
• Drain.
• Turn into large bowl.
• Drizzle some Onion Butter over each varenyky batch.
• Gently shake to mix and prevent sticking.
• Makes 4 dozen varenyky.
• VARIATION: Add 6 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled, to Two Cheese Potato Filling.
• VARIATION: After varenyky are cooked, sauté, in batches, in 2 teaspoons butter in frying pan until lightly browned.
• TO MAKE AHEAD: Place filled varenyky (cooked or uncooked) on baking sheet, in layers between waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Cover.
• Freeze until solid.
• To remove varenyky, hit baking sheet on counter to pop them off.
• Store in resealable freezer bags in freezer.
• To cook from frozen, do not thaw.
• Boil, as above, increasing cooking time after they float to top.
• Serve with sour cream.

UKRAINIAN SWEET CABBAGE VARENYKY (PIEROGI DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE FILLING: Cut the cabbages into quarters. Steam until very tender, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and cool. In a strong but thin linen towel, squeeze as much of the liquid from the steamed cabbage as possible. Squeeze only a small handful at a time. Discard the juice.
• Grind the squeezed cabbage with the fine blade of a meat grinder. Add the cream cheese and softened butter and season highly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Whisk the egg, milk, water, and sour cream together. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. This may take 10 minutes. Add as little additional flour as possible.
• Put ball of dough under an inverted bowl until ready to use.
• To make the varenyky, cut the dough into 4 pieces. On a floured board roll out piece of dough into a round 1/16 inch thick. Keep rest of dough covered. With a cookie cutter or glass tumbler (2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter), cut the dough into rounds. For each varenyk take 1 round of dough, stretch it a bit with your fingers, and spoon about 2 Tablespoons of the cabbage onto the center.
• Fold the circle in half and press the edges together. Crimp the edges with your fingertips into a decorative pattern if you wish. Be sure to seal the edges well or the filling may fall out during cooking. Put finished dumplings on a towel or tray that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Continue rolling dough until all the filling has been used up.
• Bring a very large kettle of water to the boil. Add 1 Tablespoon salt to the water and cook about 20 varenyky at one time in simmering water until they are tender and float (about 5 to 6 minutes.) Remove to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and dribble with butter and a bit of oil, to prevent sticking. Gently fold the varenyky in the oil. Leftover varenyky can be fried in butter and oil with fried onions.
• Makes approximately 8 dozen dumplings.

UKRAINIAN BEST POTATO PEROGIES-VARENYKY IN BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• FOR THE FILLING, cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, and drain. If you have a ricer, rice potatoes and stir in butter while hot, otherwise mash with electric beaters. Season to taste and add nutmeg. If adding cheese, allow potatoes to cool, then stir in grated cheese. Chill potato filling before using.
• FOR THE DOUGH, combine flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk and water. Add liquid to flour and stir until blended. The dough should be soft enough that it sticks to the bottom of the bowl, but not so soft that it doesn't hold its shape. You can always add a little more liquid or flour if you need to. Cover dough and let rest 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough as thinly as possible without tearing. Use a round cutter 3 inches in diameter and cut out circles of dough. Place 1 tablespoons of potato filling into the center of each perogy and pinch the perogy edges closed. Perogies can be frozen in one layer on a baking sheet or kept chilled until ready to cook.
• To serve, melt butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onions, stirring constantly until onions are richly browned. Reduce heat to medium low.
• TO BOIL VARENYKY: In a pot of boiling salted water, cook about half of the perogies until they float, about 5 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon, add to browned butter and gently stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon to coat them, cook remaining perogies and stir gently into browned butter. Makes 24 to 30 perogies.