Ukrainian sweet lazy pierogi (vareniki)

Step by Step

Step 1

Bring large pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, add ricotta cheese, eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Stir well until combined. The dough will be sticky.

Step 2

Spoon 1/5th of the dough onto a well floured surface and roll into a rope, sprinkling with more flour as you go. Flatten gently with your hands and cut with a knife into 1 inch dumplings.

Step 3

Generosuly salt the boiling water (prevents sticking) and reduce heat to low-medium and not vigorous boil. These are delicate pierogi. As you carefully separate each dumpling, give it a gentle roll in flour and add to the pot. Work quickly and cook in a few batches.

Step 4

Cook lazy pierogi undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes. Then gently stir with a wooden spoon, making sure they don't stick to the bottom. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until they float to the top.

Step 5

Remove into a bowl with a wire strainer, add half the butter and stir to prevent sticking. Repeat with remaining lazy pierogi.

Step 6

Serve hot with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and jam. Or sour cream and sprinkled with sugar. Also can add more butter, just make sure to add it while dumplings are hot.

Tips and Warnings

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Handle gently: My main tip for cooking these Ukrainian lazy dumplings is to handle them gently and they shouldn’t fall apart. I do not love to add too much flour but rather taste more cheese, this keeps dumplings fluffy and light too. Roll ropes gently, drop in water with care, stir with wooden spoon slowly and remove into a dish gently.