OLGA'S VARENYKY WITH POTATO, CHEDDAR, GRUYERE FILLING (perogies)

[Olga Drozd]

Ukrainian - Olga's Varenyky with Potato, Cheddar & Gruyere Filling

• Make the filling first and chill.
• Make the dough and let rest.
• Boil large pot of salted water.
• Prepare a large frying pan with fried onions.
• Any leftover scraps of dough re-use.

This dough is very tender and very easy to work with. I prefer extra old white cheddar cheese such as Balderson and for a stronger taste of cheese use aged 2 to 5 year old Cheddar. If you don't want to use Gruyere then use extra Cheddar. If you don't have shallots then use 1 medium onion finely minced for the filling. If you don't want to add fried onions to the filling, then make sure you add the butter to the potatoes.  I prefer to coat the varenyky with oil and butter mixture because any leftovers will be easier to remove and they won't stick together when cold.

DOUGH: 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (1/2 cup) (Philadelphia cream cheese used) 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1/2 cup lukewarm milk FILLING: 5 to 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, boiled in water until fork tender - drain and mash 3 teaspoons butter 3 or 4 shallots, minced 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese (white or yellow Cheddar) 1/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese or extra Cheddar or cream cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR FRYING: 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup butter

FOR THE FILLING: Mash hot potatoes with a potato masher. Saute the shallots in the butter until soft and lightly brown and add to the hot mashed potatoes along with the Cheddar and Gruyere cheese, salt and pepper.  You may add a little milk if too dense.  The consistency should be a little thicker than mashed potatoes.  Taste for seasonings and chill.

FOR THE DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, cream cheese, egg, oil, and milk.  With your hands mix together until dough forms a ball.  Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth.  You may add a little more flour to make the dough pliable. Cover dough with a bowl and let rest for 20 minutes. Divide dough into fourths. Keep the rest of the dough covered so it won't dry out. Have a surface ready that is well floured to place your formed varenyky.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD FOR THE DOUGH:  In a bowl of a food processor with the steel blade add the flour, salt, chopped up cream cheese, beaten egg, vegetable oil, and lukewarm milk. Pulse on and off until dough comes together about 7 to 10 times.  Don't over process. Remove dough and on a lightly floured board knead lightly for a minute (this is a soft dough). Cover dough with a bowl and let rest 20 minutes. Divide dough into fourths. Keep the rest of the dough covered so it won't dry out. (I used the food processor to make the dough).

HAVE READY: In a large frying pan (I use an electric frying pan).  Melt 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup butter.  Fry the chopped onions until they are soft and lightly brown. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Flour your work surface. Roll the first piece of dough - flip the dough over from time to time as you roll to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter or a glass. Stretch the circle gently to make it slightly larger. For each varenyky, place about 1 Tablespoon (or rounded teaspoon - not measuring spoon) of potato mixture in the centre of the dough circle.  Fold over to form a half circle.  Seal edges by pinching together with well floured fingers.  OPTIONAL: Take a fork and press all along the edges.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling until all the varenyky have been made. Cover them with a cotton tea towel if you wish.

COOKING VARENYKY:  Fill a large pot half full with salted water and bring to a boil.  Drop 6 or 8  varenyky in at a time and gently stir with a rubber or plastic spatula until they float to the top. After they float to the top cook them about 3 minutes and with a plastic slotted spoon remove them to the frying pan and gently coat them with the oil and onions with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining varenyky and keep adding them to the varenyky in the pan and coat gently each time.

When the frying pan gets crowded about 2 dozen varenyky, remove only the varenyky with a plastic spatula to a large casserole and cover the casserole with aluminum foil.  Proceed with the rest of the varenyky the same way as above. Place them in the frying pan with the onions and butter/oil and make sure they are well coated with the butter and oil mixture.

NOTE: TO RE-USE SCRAPS: Take the scraps from the first and second batch of dough and knead lightly together and place under the bowl. Take the scraps from the third and fourth batch of dough and knead lightly and place them under the bowl to rest. Roll out the dough from the first scraps and cut out circles and fill as above.  Roll out the dough from the third/fourth scraps and repeat rolling and filling.  The dough will be a little harder to roll out this time but when boiled it will still be soft. 

Remove the last of the varenyky from the frying pan and place in a covered casserole dish add any leftover onions or butter on top of varenyky.  Serve with sour cream. Makes about 5 dozen.

Cold leftover varenyky can be fried until crisp or microwaved for a minute or so.

TO MAKE AHEAD: Place filled varenyky (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.

[kit03]

 This dough recipe is absolutely amazing! I used it for my potato and cheddar pierogies. I can't wait to try the recipe with Gruyere as well. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

[Pavel]

OMG.....I am soooo-oooo happy I have found this sight Olga!  I am the last one left in my family and at 60 yrs old, my mama used to make many of these recipes when I was young......OMG, OMG.....I just died and came "back home" here with these FANTASTIC traditional recipes!  I just can't wait to make my varenykys with sweetened cottage cheese fillings....I AM A KID AGAIN....OMG!  I love to cook being a "hobby chef", I just have to find some green sorrel and make some "schtavyl" soup and so many other tastys that I haven't had for so-oo long now....THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU Olga......and I'm not even drinking!  Hahahaaaa 

[Olga Drozd]

Dear Pavel

Thank you Pavel and that make me happy too.

Olga 

[etnocook]

Very interesting recipe, thank You! That filling must be very tasty. I prepare on my website more traditional type of varenyky with fresh cheese http://etnocook.com/varenyky/