I come from an area of Montana with heavy German influences. While I’m not German myself, the school I went to held a German festival every year called Schmeckfest which means Tasting Festival. The highlight of Schmeckfest was the homemade vereniki. Essentially, if you like perogi, you’ll like vereniki. This particular recipe is from my friend and librarian, Bonnie Unrau. Enjoy!
Dough:
1 c. milk
1 c. cream
2 level tsp salt
1 whole egg and 6 egg whites
About 8 c. flour
Filling:
3 pts. Dry cottage cheese
1 whole egg and 6 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
This is a large batch. You’ll need a total of 8 eggs for dough and filling.
To make dough, mix milk, cream, salt, whole eggs, egg whites, and flour. Mix dough somewhat stiff. Roll out. It is best to divide dough into two batches (or even 3 or 4) since it is a big amount. Cut in about 3×5 inch or larger pieces. May also make them round if you like.
Mix filling and put 1 spoonful of cottage cheese filling in each square. Fold over and press the edges together real good so they don’t open when you cook them in kettle of boiling water for about 5 to 10 minutes (or 10 to 15 minutes if frozen). It helps to wet one edge before sealing. These freeze well before cooking. Serve with ham and ham gravy. To make gravy, use ham juice, sweet cream, milk, and flour to thicken. If you like onions, cook quite a lot of sliced onions in a little butter until soft (not brown) and mix with cream gravy.
