Ukrainian Cottage Cheese and Dill Buns . . . Marilyn made me do it!

A few days ago, Cousin Marilyn sent me this email about Claudia’s Cookbook :

Good morning, 

I follow this blogger and I forget that she is Ukrainian until out come the Ukrainian recipes at Christmas. ..

Now Mom used to do these but much larger size and bake them together in a pan.

I've never made them, maybe this year! 

Now these ones make me hungry!

*******

Claudia’s picture of her perishke drizzled with Creamy Dill Sauce was irresistible, but I thought  why not make BIG BUNS especially since they are SO EASY and QUICK..

 .  .   Well, at least in comparison to making perogies.

So that’s what I did.   And everyone loved them.  When they smelled them baking they thought they were getting Mom’s Dill Buns.   Claudia’s sweet dough was praised and so was the filling.    

GIVE THEM A TRY!

All the changes I made to Claudia's recipe are indicated in blue.

Cottage Cheese and Dill Buns

For the bun dough: 
4 tsp yeast  (next time reduce again to 2 ½ teaspoons or 1 pkg)
1 cup lukewarm water
3 eggs
6 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar, divided
1 tsp salt
4 cups all purpose flour and a bit extra when kneading  (I left out one cup

                of water.  This made just enough dough for 16 large buns.)

For the cottage cheese filling:
2 lbs. dry curd cottage cheese
2 eggs
4 green onions, thinly sliced (include white bottoms)
1 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste:  1 tsp pepper and 3 tsp salt

For Dill Sauce: 
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 cups whipping cream 

Place yeast and 2 tbsp sugar into a small bowl.   Add 1 cup of lukewarm water and stir.  Let rise for about 10 minutes, or until very frothy. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs together with salt, canola oil, and ½ cup sugar.    

Next add the frothy yeast mixture.  Stir well. 

Add flour 1 cup at a time.  Mix well until flour is combined with the wet ingredients.  Transfer dough onto a well-floured surface.  Knead until dough is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes.   Form into a ball. 

Place dough into a large oiled bowl, turning the dough ball once to coat completely.   Cover and place in a warm area for about 1 hour to allow dough to rise and double in size.

While your dough is rising, make the cottage cheese filling.  Place cottage cheese in a large bowl.   Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the cottage cheese to make the curd smaller. You don’t want any large chunks of curd in your filling as it is harder to seal the dough around it.    Next add  sliced green onions, fresh dill and salt and pepper.   Add beaten eggs.   Mix well. 

Punch dough down and knead again briefly.    One rising is enough.

Preparing the buns:

·         Grease a large cooking sheet.

*  Use a 1/3 measuring cup to divide the filling into 16 portions.     

*      Divide the dough in half.  Divide each half into 8 sections, (16 sections in all).   

*      With your fingers, shape each section into a circle 3 – 5 inches wide. 

*       Put one-third cup filling into the center  

*      Pinch the dough together around the filling and set the bun, seam-side down, on the cooking sheet.

*     Leaving just a little space between each bun, make the rest of the buns.   

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

*      Cover the buns with a tea towel and let rise for 20 minutes.

*  Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

*  For a nice, shiny look to the buns, melt 2 teaspoons butter and brush the top of the buns lightly.

* Transfer the buns to a rack to cool.

* Chop an onion finely and sauté it with ¼ cup dill in 2 tablespoons butter.  

To Reheat:

·         Preheat oven to 375.

·         Spread the sautéed onion and dill out in a 13x9 baking pan (or 15x9). 

·         Add 12 buns to the pan.  (16 may fit in a 15x9)

·         Add about 2 cups whipping cream in and around the buns.

·         Cover with aluminum foil.

·         Heat in oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  The cream will thicken into a nice sauce at the bottom of the buns.

This recipe is a combination of Mary Stadnyk’s Dill Bun recipe with one from Claudia’s cookbook.  The blue sections are from Mary’s recipe.

                 

See: 

 http://www.claudiascookbook.com/2014/12/01/perishke-ukrainian-cottage-cheese-buns-in-creamy-dill-sauce/

http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2012/07/pyrohi-real-ones.html

                               Mom liked to make small perishke as well as the big ones.