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Homemade Ukrainian Varenyky also known as Pierogies.

This is a classic Ukrainian recipe that my grandmother taught me. In my family this was a holiday staple. Somehow it went with every occasion. Easter? Pierogies. Christmas? Pierogies. Thanksgiving? Pierogies. I’m not sure if it’s the pierogies or the excuse to eat a massive amount of sour cream but either way, they are delicious and you can bet they are all gone by the end of the night. My grandmother would carefully prepare the hundreds of these in preparation of the holidays or just in case we were hungry.

What I love about this recipe in particular, other than it yielding delicious pierogies, is that it is extremely easy to make. And one batch makes enough to freeze for multiple dinners. Just take the individual pierogies out of the freezer and reheat by either boiling or frying.

The most difficult part of this recipe is folding the pierogies into a consistent shape without overstretching the dough. The key to this is practice ! But I have to say some people in my family are born with sheer talent when it comes to folding.

Print Recipe

Varenyky (Pierogies)

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Keyword: Dinner, Pierogies, Traditional, Ukrainian, Varenyky

Servings: 65

Author: Nadiya Mirchuk

Ingredients

Dough

6 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
2 cups Water
2 Eggs
1/8 Cup Extra virgin olive oil

Potato Filling

7 or 8 Potatoes
1/2 Cup Fried onions
Dash Salt
Dash Pepper

Instructions

Potato Filling:

Fry the onions in a little olive oil until brown. Set aside
Cut potatoes into small pieces then put them in a pot of boiling water until they are soft. Once they are soft remove the excess water from the pot and mash the soft potatoes. Set aside.
Combine Potatoes, Fried Onions, Salt, Pepper thoroughly in a bowl. Set aside.

Dough:

Put eggs, water and oil in a electric mixer. Gradually add in sifted flour and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined into a thick dough.
Put dough on floured board and sculpt and knead dough into a ball until it is no longer sticking to your hands. Cut dough in half and set aside under a cloth so the air doesn't dry it out.
Take the other half and roll it out with a rolling pin until 1/8th inch thick. Make sure to keep flipping it over and put flour underneath so it doesn't stick .
Use the edge of a drinking glass to cut circles into the rolled out dough.
Take a heaping spoonful of the potato filling and put it in the center of the dough circle. Fold he dough in half over the filling and pinch the ends together.
Place final product on a piece of cloth, ensuring that each Varenyky doesn't touch.
When all the Varenyky are made, place them in a pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally so they do not stick to the bottom. After about 3 mins or after they rise to the top of the pot, take them out.
Enjoy with a side of sour cream and fried onions
*If you are freezing, cover them in a little olive oil before you store them. This will keep them from sticking and falling apart!