Varenyky with cherries
Varenyky z vyshnyamy: sour-cherry dumplings with their own syrup
In late June, when the sour-cherry trees in every yard from Vinnytsia to Cherkasy turn red, Ukrainian families sit around the kitchen table pitting cherries for varenyky. These sweet dumplings are boiled, piled into a bowl and drenched in a syrup made from the cherry juice, a taste of summer holidays at grandmother's. The dough here is the simple water and oil kind, so the recipe is vegan; most Ukrainians also add a spoon of sour cream, which you are welcome to do if you are not cooking vegan. Chef's tip: sugar the cherries in a sieve and let the juice drain before filling, then put a pinch of sugar on each portion only as you seal it, so the dough stays dry at the edges.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
For the syrup
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add 1 cup warm water and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 8 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
8 minStep 2: Tip 1 ⅓ lb sour cherries into a sieve set over a bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp sugar and leave for 20–30 minutes. Collect the juice that drips out; it becomes the syrup.
Step 3: Put the cherry juice in a small pan with 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp water. Simmer over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes until it coats a spoon like thin syrup. Set aside.
6 minStep 4: Roll the dough 2 mm thick on a floured surface and cut 8 cm rounds. Toss the drained cherries with 1 tbsp cornflour.
Step 5: Place 3–4 cherries on each round, sprinkle with a pinch of the remaining 3 tbsp sugar and fold into a half moon. Pinch the edges tightly, then crimp them a second time. Common mistake: mixing the sugar into the cherries ahead of time; the fruit weeps, the edges get wet and the dumplings leak in the pot.
Step 6: Boil the varenyky in batches in a large pot of water over a medium-high heat. Once they float, cook 3–4 minutes more, until the dough is tender and the cherries show dark through it. Do not let the water boil too fiercely or they may split.
5 minStep 7: Lift into a bowl, spoon over the warm cherry syrup and shake gently to coat. Serve warm, with sour cream on the side for those who eat dairy.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 75 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does varenyky with cherries take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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