Ukrainian varenyky with curd filling

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 ml milk
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 glasses of flour, approx. as needed
• 400 g quark
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp potato starch
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• some butter flakes
• 1 cup crème fraîche

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

sweet or salty, made from a light choux pastry, traditional Ukrainian cuisine

First, prepare the dough. In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, salt, egg, and 2-3 tablespoons of flour, stirring thoroughly. Add a little more flour if necessary, until the batter reaches the consistency of crêpe batter. Place the pan on the stovetop and heat, stirring constantly (important!), until you have a sticky choux pastry. Let it cool slightly, then transfer it to a floured surface and add about 3-3.5 cups of flour until you have an elastic dough. The dough is perfect when it no longer sticks to your hands. Wrap the finished dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Drain the quark. For the sweet filling, stir in one egg, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of potato starch, and vanilla sugar. If you prefer a savory filling, stir one egg, 1 tablespoon of potato starch, and a pinch of salt into the quark. Now form the varenyky. We’ll be working on a floured surface, setting aside a small bowl of flour, and need a rolling pin. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, leaving 3 of them covered with the tea towel for now. Roll out part of the dough with your hands into a sausage shape about 4 cm thick. Cut about 2 cm wide slices from this sausage, roll them in flour, and roll each slice out into a small flatbread with a rolling pin. Place 1-1.5 teaspoons of quark filling on each slice, pressing the edges together firmly with your fingers to create the typical varenyky shape. Place on a floured tray. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Carefully drop the varenyky, one by one, into the boiling water, stir gently with a wooden spoon, and simmer for about 10 minutes. The varenyky are done when they float to the surface. Carefully remove the varenyky with a slotted spoon, spread them out on a tray, and let them steam briefly. Now put a few flakes of butter into a large bowl, add the hot varenyky, and stir gently with a wooden spoon. It’s even easier to spread the butter if you put the varenyky and a few flakes of butter into a soup pot, close the lid, and gently shake the pot 2-3 times – this is the traditional way. Serve with crème fraîche in a small bowl. Repeat with the remaining batter. The raw varenyky freeze very well – simply place them on a floured tray in the freezer. If they are individually frozen, you can put them in a freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. Do not thaw them before cooking; add them straight from frozen to boiling water. Fry the varenyky from the previous day in a pan with a little butter until crispy; they taste even better! Along with borscht, varenyky are also traditional Ukrainian national dishes. In Ukraine, varenyky are prepared with all kinds of fillings—e.g., mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, offal, mushrooms, cottage cheese, cherries, and strawberries. They are always served with crème fraîche.