Pelmeni are similar to Italian ravioli and are prepared very often in the countries of Eastern Europe, especially in the Ukraine. They are simple to make and absolutely perfect for any occasion. Fasting is no better time in which to take a look at some wonderful recipes for meatless pelmeni:
Pelmeni
Ingredients:
For the dough: 2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cool water, slightly less than 1 tsp salt.
For the stuffing: 7 oz cottage cheese, 2.5 oz cheese, 1 egg.
Preparation: Knead the dough from the products listed for it. Cover with a towel and leave it in a cool area for 30 min. Roll it out into a sheet 1/16" thick. Cut out circles using a glass or ring from it.
Prepare the stuffing by grating the cheese and beating it with the cottage cheese and egg. Put a little of this stuffing into each circle. Smear the edges of each with beaten egg, fold in 2 and press the edges with a fork get them to stick together.
Drop the resulting crescents in boiling salted water for 5 min. Take them out with a slotted spoon, drain and put them in a warmed plate. Pour hot butter or oil on top, as well as grated cheese if desired. Serve with a sauce of your choice.
Salzburg Pelmeni
Ingredients: 3 eggs, 1/5 cup butter, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp flour, 3/4 cup milk, 1 vanilla packet, vanilla sugar.
Preparation: Beat half the softened butter into foam. Add the egg yolks gradually. Whisk the egg whites into snow. Add the sugar slowly and continue beating until you get a hard snow. Combine this with the yolk mixture. Carefully add the flour and pour into a pot with the milk, which has been boiled with the remaining butter and vanilla. Bake this for 6-8 min. in a high oven. Take it out, cut it into pieces, arrange them in a tray and sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
Pelmeni with Marmalade
Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups flour, 1 egg, 2/5 cup butter, 1 cup water, 1 pinch of salt, 1 cup plum puree (or marmalade), 1-2 small dried bread buns, 3-4 tablespoons sugar.
Preparation: Knead a soft dough from the flour, egg, half the butter, salt and water. Let it sit for 30-40 min. Roll it out into a thin crust, cut out squares from it.
Put a little marmalade on each square. Fold them diagonally, press down on the edges so they stick together. Boil each for 5 min. in lightly salted boiling water.
Serve the pelmeni sprinkled with crumbled, dried bread bun pieces, with the remaining melted butter and sugar poured on top.
