Vareniky

Vareniky

Dough

450 g floury potatoes (about 6 large Russet potatoes), peeled and quartered mashed

125 g butter, melted (1/4 stick)

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sour cream

1 tsp salt, or more to taste  
* save the potato water

Filling

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 cup grated cheddar cheese or farmer's cheese

Steps to Make It

    Gather the ingredients.

    Mash cooked potatoes

    Add remaining ingredients to the potatoes and combine well. Mix with the hook until dough climbs up the hook

    If the dough is dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until moist. If the dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it's smooth

    On a floured surface, knead dough 3 or 4 minutes or until elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

    Roll, cut, fill and cook vareniki

Sweet Cheese Filling

Ingredients

    1 large egg (room temperature, beaten)

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    4 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1 pound farmer's cheese (or dry curd, room temperature) 

Note: Make little balls from leftover dough/ Poach in milk. Add sugar. Enjoy

Serbian Sweet Cheese Palacinke Recipe

Serbian Sweet Cheese Palacinke Recipe

Ingredients

    Palacinke Batter:

    1 cup all-purpose flour

    1 large beaten egg

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 teaspoon sugar

    1 cup whole milk

    .

    Sweet Cheese Filling:

    1 pound dry cottage cheese - sieved

    4 tablespoon butter softened

    ¾ cup sugar

    ½ cup sour cream

    1 tablespoons flour

    1/4 cup raisins soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained – optional

    ½ tsp lemon zest

    2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    3 large slightly beaten eggs

    .

    Topping:

    8 ounces sour cream

    1 large beaten egg yolk

    2 tablespoons sugar

    Prep Time: 30 minutes

    Cook Time: 20 minutes

    Total Time: 50 minutes

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine all the sweet cheese filling ingredients. Let it rest, covered and refrigerated, for 1 1/2 hours while you make the palacinke.
 

In a blender or food processor, combine the batter ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes so the liquid can be absorbed by the flour.
 

Using a 2-ounce ladle, portion out batter into a nonstick skillet that has been coated with equal parts butter and oil. Rotate pan and swirl batter until it covers the entire bottom of pan. Cook until lightly brown or spotted brown on the underside. Turn and cook second side until light brown.

Remove to waxed paper or parchment paper and repeat with remaining batter, separating palacinke with waxed paper or parchment. At this point, palacinke can be used immediately or wrapped and frozen up to 1 month.
 

Place 2 heaping tablespoons filling on one edge of each palacinke and roll away from yourself.
 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place filled palacinke on a buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine all topping ingredients, mixing well, and spread on top of filled palacinke. Bake 20 minutes.

    Yield: 12 Palacinke

Serbian Bean Soup (Pasulj)

Serbian Bean Soup (Pasulj)

Smoked rib stock

2 lbs smoked ribs

1 carrot, peeled, chopped

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 stalk celery

Dried whole hot pepper - I use 4 Thai

Bay leaf

Parsley

Garlic with parchment – 4 cloves

Water to cover

Bring to boil skim off foam then turn down to a low simmer. Cook until the meat can be pulled off the bone.

Strain stock and chill overnight in the fridge remove solidified fat and save. Fat can be used for future use.

Soup

1 lb. dried white beans soaked overnight

1 carrot - chopped

1 celery - chopped

1 onion – chopped

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 cup Ajvar - I prefer hot

Parsley

Salt & pepper

I use a slow cooker for my stock. Cook until the bones can be removed from the meat

Drain and rinse beans

Add in carrot, onion and celery.

Cook until beans are tender

Add chopped smoked rib meat

Add Ajvar

Season

Add chopped parsley

Enjoy with a good bread, beer and Srbski Chai