Wareneki (Cottage Cheese Pockets)

Photo credit

Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Wareneki

Also known as:

Varenikje (Cottage Cheese Dumplings)

Shootenkruflin

Pierogi (Russian)

 

Here is some history on this little treat from 
Mennonite Foods and Folkways from South Russia by Norma Jost Voth.

(Link is in my sidebar.)

Often the words Varenikje, Perogi and Phrohy are used interchangeably among Mennonites.  However, there is a difference as both Mary Dirks Janzen and Gerhard Lohrenz point out.

Varenikje comes from the word varitj (Russian), which means to boil, and Perogi means to bake.

Varenikje are boiled and fried in butter or bacon drippings.
I have yet to uncover Shootenkruflin.  If anyone knows the history of this word I would love to know.

In Herman Rempel's Low German Dictionary and in many Russian Mennonite cookbooks, varenyky or Varenikje has been Low Germanized to Wrenikje or Wreninkje and Wareneki.

 Dough:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups flour

1 egg white

1 cup sour cream

Combine all dry ingredients, stir in egg white and sour cream, knead until smooth, refrigerate for 1 hour, roll out onto slightly floured surface, cut into circles.

Cottage Cheese Filling:

2 cups dry cottage cheese

1 egg  yolk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix well.

Bierock Filling (Runza) with mushrooms and Swiss cheese

2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion finely chopped

1 can sour kraut

finely chopped mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon pepper

shredded Swiss cheese

Here is a pic of my version runza style with mushrooms and swiss cheese...

Frying in bacon drippings.

I prefer to use this over butter for the meat filled Wareneki.

However, butter rules for the cheese pockets...

Assembly:

Take your filling of choice and place on one side of your circle.

If you are using my Bierock version top the filling with Swiss Cheese.

Fold dough over the filling and pinch the edges closed.

Boil in salted water until the Wareneki float to the top.

Remove and drain.

Fry the boiled pockets in butter or bacon drippings until golden brown.

You can eat them right out of the fry pan or top them with gravy.  Either way you are in for some YUMMY goodness;)

Wareneki Gravy Topping

1/4 cup butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Crispy fried bacon

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter and stir in the whipping cream, bacon and pepper.

Bring to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Works best for boiling if the Wareneki is chilled.

These freeze wonderfully in a non cooked state.

My go to cookbook on my Family Heritage recipes.

I own all of these if you are in the area and wish to borrow one that would be great.

However, if you are not the links are posted in my sidebar...

Mennonite Girls can cook is a great website for ethnic GMR foods.

 I HIGHLY recommend these cookbooks.  They are the best of the best out there.

Freelijch Wiehnachts

Freelijch Wiehnachts!

(Merry Christmas!)

Today I have a recipe and a video for you.

Nook-A-la Soup

here is a great recipe link

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Gott Saajne!

Piroshki

Another yummy morsel for you today

Piroshki  (Pi-rOsh-kE) sounds like pEE-rOsh-kE

Meat filled pastry that is baked

below you see our Dochta learning the process of Piroshki making.
She even wanted to take a photo of Mom (a bit fuzzy however, I LOVE IT).

Meat Tarts (Piroshki)

CRUST

2 C flour

1/2 C sour cream

2 Tbsp Butter

1 egg yolk for brushing over the tops

FILLING

1/4 lb ground beef

1 Tbsp butter

1 small onion chopped

1/2 tsp salt

Brown onions in butter, add the beef , salt and pepper

cook until done.

Mix flour and melted butter,

add the sour cream and knead several times to blend well.

Roll out on floured surface less than 1/4" thick.

Cut with round biscuit cutter.

Place a spoonful of filling on the cough circle, wet the edge and pinch closed.

Brush with egg yolk and bake at 400 degrees until crust is brown.

From Mrs. John Ewert

Pioneer Tradition*Modern Nutrition

 Dochta = Daughter

sounds like

Dock-ta

Gott Saajen!

Fleisch Kuchele

Fleisch Kuchele   

Meat Pies

Pronounced as flesh-keek-la

There are as many recipes out there as there are spellings for Fleisch Kuchele

today I am sharing the recipe from

Pioneer Tradition*Modern Nutrition

If you live in our area Meridian Corner 

(intersection of 81 and 18 south of Freeman SD)

has Fleisch Kuchele on special every Thursday, the photo you see above is from Meridian Corner.

This recipe is served with pickles this day I ordered fried pickles, add some mustard and ketchup and dig in.

Sift together 3 C flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

Add

1 Beaten Egg

1/4 C melted shortening

about 3/4 C milk

Gently knead and divide into 2 parts

Roll each part into a 16" square

Cut each 16" square into 4" squares

Fill with a spoonful of the following Meat Mixture

1 1b Hamburger

1 tsp salt

pepper and onion (I use one small finely chopped onion) to taste

Fold dough and seal edges tightly.

Fry in deep fat until brown

Makes 30

These freeze wonderfully!

Gott Saajne!

Rhubarb Plauts

This is one YUMMY recipe, enjoy...

1 Cup Sifted flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp butter

1 egg slightly beaten

5 Tbsp milk

Combine flour and baking powder, add in butter and work into crumbs with your hands.

Beat egg slightly and add milk.

Pour the milk and egg into the dry mixture.

Work out on floured surface until dough forms a ball.

Press the dough into a greased pan 9 by 9 pan (I use my cast iron skillet) working it up the sides.

Cover Dough with fresh rhubarb,

cover rhubarb with 2 Tbsp flour and 1/2 C sugar.

Streusel Topping

3/4 C sifted flour

3/4 C sugar

1/2 C butter

Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over the rhubarb mix.

Cook in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Gott Saajen!

Streuselkuchen

What a beautiful morning it was in eastern SD.

De boom jlistre enn de sonn.

The trees glisten in the sun.

Below is a photo of the Monroe Elevator and frosted winter trees. 

Looking southwest from our home.

Feb. 5th 2012

The view outside and the smell inside could not make for a better start to the day.

Streuselkuchen was baked this AM.

(Streusel Cake)

I use a basic Zwieback recipe from my Aunt Ella Berg Tieszen,

 topped with condensed milk and crumb topping.

Sliced up bits of heaven...

Jo! The Amazing Race on CBS is one of my favorite television shows.  

Favorite episodes include the cowboy brothers Jet and Cord.

In the youtube video below you will see Jet eating a piece of Kuchen 

at the Onces y Cabanas Bellavista in Chile 

*(take note he is pronouncing Kuchen wrong)*

GMR's started emigrating to Chile in 1848

My Gravy!  LOL, that expression cracks me up every time;)

I can tell you what KUCHEN is

KUCHEN pronounced as COOK-N and it means cake and or a pie like pastry.

My favorite varieties are cherry and Poppyseed, YUMMY!

Streusel, sounds like stroy- sell  =   Something Scattered or Sprinkled

de  sounds like the e in (met) deh =   the

boom,  sounds like baum   =  trees

enn, sounds like n  =   in

de sonn sounds like deh sone   =   the sun  

jo  Sounds like   yo  =   yes    

Jlistre  sounds like ya-liss-ter   =   glisten  

Gott Saajne!