Vareniki with Potatoes and Cheese Pierogie
Serving: 15
Ingredients
Ingredients for Pierogie Dough:
2/3 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp sour cream
2 large eggs
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
7 cups plus 6 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
Ingredients for Potato Filling:
10 medium potatoes
¾ Tbsp salt for cooking potatoes
¾ cup mozzarella cheese, finely grated
½ package (4 oz) of cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbsp butter, melted
Ingredients for Zazharka:
½ package of bacon (6 oz), chopped
½ medium onion, finely diced
2-3 Tbsp butter (depending on how many vareniki you've made).
Instructions
How to Make Pierogies Dough:
Using the whisk attachment on medium speed, mix together: ⅔ cup buttermilk, 1 tbsp of sour cream 2 cups warm water, 2 eggs and 1½ tsp salt until well blended
Switch to dough hook and add 4 cups flour. Mix on speed 2 until well blended.
Add 3 more cups of flour (one cup at a time and wait for the dough to become well blended with each cup).
Add the rest of the flour 1 Tbsp at a time, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl (I used 6 Tbsp). Once it is no longer sticking to the bowl, continue to mix 5 minutes. (Total mixing time is about 20 minutes from the time you start adding flour).
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
If making Pierogies by hand:
Shape a portion of the dough into a 1 to 2 -inch thick log. Cut off 1 piece at a time (about gum ball sized) and roll into disks to form a 1.5-inch circle with rolling pin. Sprinkle rolling pin and surface with flour if needed.
Place 1 tsp pelmeni filling in the center,
Close the edges and pinch together.
Pinch the corners together to form, well... a diaper shape.
Place pelmeni onto a well-floured cutting board. Arrange pelmeni evenly on the cutting board, sprinkle with flour and place in the freezer.
Once they are fully frozen, put them in large ziploc bags, sprinkle with flour and freeze them for future enjoyment.
To Cook Pierogies:
Bring a pot of water to boil (add 1 tbsp salt for a large soup pot, or 1 tsp salt for a smaller 4 quart pot). Add FROZEN pelmeni and return to a boil. They should float to the top, then boil for 3 mintues longer (or until meat is fully cooked). Drain pelmeni and place them in a clean bowl. Toss pelmeni with butter and sprinkle with dill (optional). Serve them warm with ketchup, sour cream or vinegar (my personal favorite).
How to Make Cheesy Potato Filling:
Peel and chop potatoes into ½-inch slices.
Place potatoes in a medium pot and fill with enough water to almost cover potatoes and add ¾ Tbsp salt.
Bring potatoes to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
Drain potatoes and remove from heat. Let potatoes cool for 5 minutes, then mash and stir in 3 tbsp melted butter. Mix in the cream cheese and mozzarella cheese. Mixing potatoes with a potato masher (also, the paddle attachment in an electric standing mixer makes it easy).
Bring a large pot of water to boil with 1 Tbsp salt. Add dumplings and cook until they float to the top and an additional couple minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't stick to the bottom. Remove with a slotted spoon. The full recipe makes about 4 batches so cook each batch separately in the same water.
To make "zazharka," saute bacon until it releases its fat, add onion and saute until golden. Add butter and stir until melted. Drizzle over finished vareniki.
Notes
Note: You can freeze leftover uncooked pierogies by putting the on a flour-dusted cutting board and put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can place them in a large zip-loc bag. Pre-freezing them like this keeps them from sticking together in the freezer.
