Almost every Ukrainian household has grown up eating varenyky (dumplings). Generation after generation, dozens of recipes for salty and sweet fillings have appeared.
Today we are going to cook “striped” varenyky using white and chocolate dough. Filled with farmer cheese and vanilla sugar, these dumplings are rather a festive dessert rather than a traditional meal.
They are tender, fragrant, and have a light chocolate note. On top of that, they look eye-catching and will be the centerpiece of any table.
Ingredients:
- 600 g (21 oz) flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 150 ml hot water
- 100 ml cold milk
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- a pinch of salt
Filling
- 250 g (1/2 lb) cottage cheese/farmer cheese
- 1,5 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 egg
Cooking
Take 2 tbsp of flour and set aside for a while. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Make a little well in the center and add cold milk, hot water (around 50°C), vegetable oil, and egg.
Mix everything until smooth and until the dough forms a sticky ball. Continue to knead the dough on a floured surface. Then divide it into 2 parts.
Add cocoa powder to the first part of the dough and 2 tbsp of flour (we set aside at the beginning) to the second part of the dough. As a result, you get white and chocolate dough.
Cover the dough with clingfilm and let it stand for around 20 minutes.
Roll the white dough into a rectangle (2-3 mm width). Cover the rolled dough with a clingfilm to prevent it from drying.
Now let’s roll the chocolate dough into a rectangle as well (the white dough rectangle should be a bit larger in size). Generously brush the chocolate dough with water using a silicone brush. Put the white dough above the chocolate one.
Then turn upside down the dough layers. Brush the chocolate dough with water on the other side (that will help all dough layers stick to each other). Roll the two layers of dough into a tight roll.
Set aside the dough for a while.
Filling
Combine cottage cheese/farmer cheese (5%), sugar, vanilla sugar, and egg. Mix everything until smooth. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon.
Cut the dough in thin round pieces. Roll out one piece. Place the filling in the middle and carefully fold it over to form a half-circle. Seal the edges tightly to prevent the filling from coming out. Repeat the procedure to use all ingredients.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add a drizzle of vegetable oil. Drop a few dumplings at a time into the rapidly boiling water.
Stir gently with a spoon to separate dumplings and prevent them from sticking. Boil from 5 to 7 minutes.
Varenyky are cooked when they float to the top and are well puffed. Transfer the dumplings to a colander and drain thoroughly.
Serve varenyky hot with sour cream.
Enjoy your meal!
Have you liked the recipe for cheese dumplings?
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