How to Cook Cherry Vareniki
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 mins + 5 hours (inactive)
Cooking time: 1hour
Ingredients needed to make Cherry Vareniki:
For the noodle dough:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 eg yolks
- 1 egg white, slightly beaten
- 7 tbsp water
- Salt to taste
For the cherry filling:
- 4 cups fresh sour cherries, pitted
- ¼ cup cherry flavoured liqueur
- Cherry juice, as required
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Cooking instructions for Cherry Vareniki:
- For the filling, toss the pitted cherries with sugar until well mixed and set aside for several hours in a warm place until they release their juices.
- Drain it out through a fine mesh sieve and set the strained juice aside.
- Pour the strained juice into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over moderately high heat.
- Continue to boil the liquid until it thickens to measure only a cup.
- Turn off the heat and whisk in a splash of the liqueur until well mixed’ set aside to cool completely.
- Sprinkle the cornstarch over the cherries and toss them together to coat well; set aside until the dough for the dumplings is ready.
- Empty the cups of flour into a food processor along with ½ tsp salt and egg yolks.
- Process them while drizzling oil into it in a steady stream until all of it is used up.
- Add the water into the mixture, in a continuous stream until the ingredients gather together to form a dough.
- Place the dough on a lightly-floured working counter and knead it for a couple of minutes or until it becomes smooth plus flexible.
- Wrap the dough in a kitchen towel and let it rest for half an hour.
- Split the dough into two halves and roll each of them into round balls.
- Wrap one of it in a towel while dealing with the other one.
- Flatten it out on a floured working surface, using floured rolling pin, until it forms a very thin sheet but doesn’t get torn at places.
- Carve out 3’’ wide circles using a cookie cutter and set aside.
- Place a couple of cherries at the centre of each round and wrap the dough around it form a crescent-shaped dumpling.
- Paint the sides with a lashing of the beaten egg-white and press them together firmly to seal.
- Place it on a baking sheet, dusted earlier with flour and make rest of the dumplings in a similar manner.
- Arrange them on the baking sheet, spaced an inch apart and spread a damp kitchen towel over them to cover.
- Make another batch of dumplings using the other dough ball and set aside.
- Pour 6 quarts of water to a boil into a large pot and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce it to a simmer and drop the dumplings carefully into it.
- Cook them for about 6-7 minutes, stirring them gently at times, until they pop up on the surface.
- Drain them out, using a slotted spoon and place them in a serving bowl.
- Drizzle melted butter over them, followed by the cherry sauce and toss them gently to coat wll.
- Serve right away.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
