Ukrainian Blueberry Varenyky with Blueberry Sauce (Perogy/pierogi)

Time

Ingredients

Ingredients

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

2 cups blueberries (wild blueberries preferred)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. butter, melted
Sour cream, at room temperature

FILLING

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 cups blueberries

DOUGH

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter, melted
Cold water

Instructions

FOR THE SAUCE: In saucepan, stir together blueberries, sugar and flour; add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Simmer over low heat until blueberries are soft and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

FOR THE DOUGH: In large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. In separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk and butter; stir into flour mixture. Add cold water, 1 tbsp. at a time (6 to 7 tbsp. total), until soft dough is formed. Knead until dough is smooth. Cover with plastic and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll dough to scant 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 3 inch rounds.

FILLING: Whisk together sugar and flour; set aside. Stretch out cut out dough rounds slightly and fill each round with scant 1 tsp. flour/ sugar mixture and 1 Tbsp. blueberries. Pull dough over filling; pinch edges together to seal.

Continue until dough and filling are used up, letting reworked scraps rest slightly before rolling (keep unrolled dough and filled dumplings covered with a clean tea towel).

In large pot of lightly salted boiled water, boil dumpling, in batches if necessary, until dough is tender at thickest edges, about 10 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to serving plate; drizzle with butter to prevent sticking. Serve with blueberry sauce and sour cream on the side. Makes 32 to 36 dumplings.

FOOD TIP: any leftover dough can be rolled into noodles, boiled and served with butter or sour cream.

Author's Comments

You say Perogy, and I say Varenyky….The names for Eastern European dumplings can be very confusing, even the cause of some good neighbourly arguments! While in Canada, we might lump them all together as the familiar Polish perogy (pierogi or pirogi), each region differs.

In Ukraine, boiled dumplings are called varenyky (from the Slavic “to boil”). Pyrohy, or pyrizhky are referred from “to bake” these are made with yeast dough or short crust dough filled with variety of fillings and are baked or deep fried.

These irresistible boiled dumplings are best made with wild blueberries. The dough is quite stretchy and shrinks back a bit after cutting, so you will have to stretch it over the blueberries when filling.

Similar Recipes

0 Recipe Reviews