This Mixed Berry Varenyky recipe includes blueberry, strawberry and dark cherry filled dumplings coated in a vanilla bean butter and served with sour cream and fresh fruit.
Varenyky is a national dish in Ukraine. I made these dessert mixed berry varenyky following a suggestion from a follower on TikTok. Through highlighting Ukrainian dishes I hope to raise awareness and increase aid for Ukraine during the current crisis.
Reputable places to donate for aid in Ukraine
(Not an exhaustive list, just a couple that I like.)
How to support marginalized people in Ukraine
@Trippin.World on Instagram published a thorough list of how to support marginalized people in Ukraine right now. Visit their linktr.ee.
What are varenyky?
Varenyky are a popular national dish in Ukraine. They are dumplings filled with either sweet or savory fillings. Typical fillings include cottage cheese, potato, cherries, or meat. They are traditionally topped with sour cream and butter.
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According to UkrainianRecipes.com, not only are they a national dish, they are also symbolic. Ukrainian ancestors likened varenyk with a young moon since they have a similar shape. They even used dumplings as a sacrificial food.
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What do you need to make mixed berry varenyky
You probably already have most of these ingredients on hand:
- Flour
- Sunflower oil (It is traditional, as sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine and Ukraine is responsible for half of the world’s sunflower oil.)
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Frozen cherries
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch
- Butter
- Sour cream
Tips:
- Keep your unused dough covered at all times to keep it from drying out.
- You can re-roll dough scraps, they just might be a bit tougher.
- You can adapt the filling if you do not like mixed berries. Just substitute another berry or use more of one.
- You may find the shaping difficult at first, but keep practicing and check out some techniques on YouTube and you will get the hang of it!
📖 Recipe
Mixed Berry Varenyky (Dumplings)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ball (I used Anna Voloshyna’s recipe)
- Large pot of water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
Mixed berry filling
- ¾ cup blueberries washed
- ¾ cup strawberries washed and hulled
- ¾ cup frozen dark cherries thawed, chopped in halves
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 teaspoon cornstarch whisked together
Fruit + juice garnish
- ¼ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup strawberries
- ¼ cup thawed dark cherries
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
Other garnish
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare dough according to Anna Voloshyna’s recipe.
- During the 20 minute dough resting period, prepare the filling.
Prepare the filling
- Combine ¾ cup blueberries, ¾ cup strawberries and ¾ cup dark cherries in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon of sugar and the lemon juice/cornstarch slurry.
- Stir occasionally and let cook for about 5-7 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and place in another bowl to cool down.
Prepare the garnish
- In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup blueberries, ¼ cup strawberries, ¼ cup thawed dark cherries, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoon sugar and pinch of salt. Mix well and let sit at room temperature to draw out the juices from the fruit.
- Melt the butter and add ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract). Set aside.
Shape the varenyky
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon salt.
- Cut the dough ball in half. Keep one half wrapped in plastic while working with the other. Roll the ball into a ⅛-inch thick circle. Use a 3-inch cutter to stamp out circles.
- Place a small scoop of filling in the center of the circles, about ½ teaspoon. Fold the dough over, taking care not to trap air in the center. Pinch the edges closed. Repeat until you have as many as you would like to boil at once.
- Gently place the dumplings in the water. Boil for about 3-5 minutes, or until they float.
- Place the boiled varenyky in a large serving bowl. Pour in melted butter mixture and stir to coat to keep them from sticking together.
- Serve with sour cream and the juice and berries from the fruit garnish mixture.
Notes
- Keep your unused dough covered at all times to keep it from drying out.
- You can reroll dough scraps, they just might be a bit tougher.
- You can adapt the filling if you do not like mixed berries. Just substitute another berry or use more of one.
