Apricot And Walnut Varenikis (Ukrainian Dessert Dumplings)
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| these stuffed dessert dumplings with a chewy noodle-dough wrapping are |
| a ukrainian specialty. the fruit fillings vary widely - ours are |
| stuffed with dried apricots and walnuts, then sprinkled with a |
| cinnamon-crumb topping. |
| active time: 1 1/4 hr start to finish: 2 hr |
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| 1/4 cup | water |
| 1/4 cup | plus 2 tablespoons sugar |
| 2 Tbsp | apricot brandy (optional) |
| 6 oz. | dried apricots (1 cup; preferably california) |
| 1/2 cup | walnuts (2 oz), finely chopped |
| | pierogi and vareniki dough |
| 1 stick | (1/2 cup) unsalted butter |
| 1/2 cup | fresh bread crumbs |
| 1/4 tsp | cinnamon |
| |
| make filling: bring water and 1/4 cup sugar to a boil, stirring until |
| sugar is dissolved. remove from heat and stir in brandy. finely chop |
| apricots in a food processor, then add sugar syrup and pulse until just |
| combined (do not puree). transfer to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup |
| walnuts. cool. |
| roll out dough and fill varenikis: halve dough and roll out 1 piece on |
| a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch round, keeping remaining dough |
| wrapped. trim dough to a 13-inch square. cut lengthwise into 4 strips, |
| then crosswise into fourths to form 16 (3 1/4-inch) squares. |
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| put 1 slightly rounded teaspoon filling in center of each square. |
| working with 1 square at a time, moisten edges with water and fold in |
| half diagonally to form a triangle, pressing edges firmly together to |
| seal. overlap bottom points of triangle and press to seal (dumpling |
| will look like a pointed hat). transfer vareniki to a flour-dusted |
| kitchen towel. repeat with remaining squares, then make more dumplings |
| with remaining dough and filling. |
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| cook varenikis in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until |
| tender, about 15 minutes. make topping while varenikis cook: |
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| heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over moderate heat, then cook |
| bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, stirring frequently, until |
| golden, 2 to 3 minutes. remove from heat and season lightly with salt. |
| stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. sprinkle 2 |
| teaspoons cinnamon sugar over crumb mixture and toss. |
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| to serve varenikis: melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter, then drizzle |
| about 2 tablespoons on a warmed serving platter. transfer varenikis |
| with a slotted spoon to platter and drizzle with remaining 4 |
| tablespoons butter. |
| |
| serve hot, sprinkled with bread-crumb mixture and remaining cinnamon |
| sugar to taste. |
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| cooks' note: |
| . filled varenikis can be frozen 1 month. freeze on a tray until |
| firm, abut 2 hours, then freeze in sealable plastic bags. thaw before |
| cooking. |
| makes 6 servings. |
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| pierogi and vareniki dough |
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| active time: 20 min start to finish: 50 min |
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| 1 cup | all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading and rolling |
| 3/4 cup | cake flour (not self-rising) |
| 2 large | eggs |
| 3/4 tsp | salt |
| 1/4 cup | water |
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| stir together flours in a bowl. make a well in flour and add eggs, |
| salt, and water, then stir together with a fork without touching flour. |
| continue stirring, gradually incorporating flour into well until a soft |
| dough forms. transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and |
| knead, adding only as much additional flour as needed to keep dough |
| from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (dough will |
| be soft.) cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at |
| least 30 minutes. |
| cooks' note: |
| |
| . dough may be made 2 hours ahead, wrapped well in plastic wrap and |
| chilled. bring to room temperature before using. |
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| makes enough for about 48 pierogies or 32 varenikis. |
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| (ID: 1944) Mirror: rec.food.recipes: Thu, Jul 21, 2005 |