Cottage Cheese Filling For Varenyky (Pyrohy)

Hi Everyone, 

Well, another Christmas is coming up fast for us. Ukrainian
Christmas is celebrated on January 7th, so I'm whipping
up a batch of pierogies in anticipation of watching the
kids wolf them down. I thought I'd share a very old recipe
from a traditional cookbook of mine.

Here is the third filling recipe for homemade  pierogies. I married 
into a Ukrainian family and quickly discovered that I love their food! 
My mother and father-in-law make huge batches of pierogies every Christmas. The kids love it. 

The cottage cheese pierogies are delicious with this 

easy recipe for Mushroom Gravy.

Cottage Cheese Filling Recipe

From "Traditional Ukrainian Cookery", by Savella Stechishin

"This standard recipe may be varied as desired. Dry curd cheese is preferred for a filling because a wet, creamy one will melt, giving flat and empty varenyky. When egg yolks are used in the dough for pierogies, the leftover egg whites may be beaten and mixed with the cheese. The mixture may require chilling before using it if the consistency is thin. With a dry curd cheese a tablespoon or more of thick sour cream will improve the filling. Some enjoy cottage cheese filling with a subtle flavor of fresh chopped dill."

2 cups dry cottage cheese

1 egg or 2 egg whites, slightly beaten

Salt

Combine the cottage cheese with the egg and season to taste with salt. Fill and cook your pierogies according to directions in the DOUGH RECIPE.

I mix the ingredients together in a pot or large bowl with my potato masher. If I don't have enough cottage cheese for the recipe, 
I just add  some mashed potatoes. 

Sauerkraut Filling

I fill the dough circles in small batches, 
then fold it over and pinch the dough to close them up. 

I line them up in rows on a large cookie sheet, place a tea towel over them and freeze them like that. Then I put them in freezer bags.

Hope all of you have a good day, and Happy Cooking!

Val