Flavors of UkrainePreparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

There are many possible fillings for these dumplings, which are found in one form or other in every Eastern Europe cuisine. Except for times like Christmas Eve (when meat and dairy products are not allowed), many Ukrainian cooks fill the varenyky with a cottage cheese filling or a potato and cheese filling, and serve them with sour cream and onions sautéed in butter. They can also be filled with sauerkraut combined with fried onion, or even cooked prunes or other fruit. The fillings may vary tremendously during summer time, with cherries, plums and berries.

Some cooks do not use eggs in their dough. If you wish to omit them, increase the amount of water to 1 1/2 cups.

Making the dough

1. Combine the flour and salt.
2. Mix in the oil, beaten eggs and water and knead the dough until smooth.
3. Cover and let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.

Making the filling

1. Sauté the onion in the oil until translucent.
2. Mix into the mashed potato and season with salt and pepper.

Making the perogies

1. Roll the dough out thinly on a floured work surface.
2. Using a round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 10 cm (4") rounds. Place a spoonful of the filling in the centre of each circle. Moisten the edges of the dough, fold in half to enclose the filling and seal the edges well.
3. The varenyky can be frozen at this point in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, they can be placed into freezer bags.
4. To cook, drop into boiling salted water and cook until the dumplings are floating. Serve with sautéed onions.