Ukrainian Mushroom Dumplings
This is a delightful little dumpling if you are a mushroom lover. It translates to “tiny ear” because of the final shape it takes. We would always eat them served in a steaming bowl of Borscht. The beet and mushroom flavor is a wonderful combination.
Vushka
Ingredients
The Dough
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 cup milk
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 egg and 1 additional yolk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Mushroom Filling
- Two 8-ounce cans of large mushrooms, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
Dough
Warm milk in a small pot; do not bring to boil. Place butter in a mixing bowl and gradually add lukewarm milk. Start to stir at slow speed. Add egg and additional yolk. Alternate adding flour and cream cheese. Add salt. Mix for about 5 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Allow to stand about 10 minutes before forming dumplings.
Mushroom Filling
The key to this filling is to chop all the ingredients very fine so that the dough is easier to fill.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add mushrooms and cook the mixture down until the juice has disappeared (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan and fry the breadcrumbs until slightly golden. Add the breadcrumbs to the mushrooms along with garlic and salt. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Add egg yolk.
Creating the Vushka
Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, create 1-inch squares. Take a square and slightly stretch it out place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center and fold over to form a triangle. Pinch the sides shut making sure they are completely sealed. Bring the corners of the dumpling together to create the final shape.
Place the dumplings in boiling water and cook until the float (no more than 3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon, drain in a colander and coat dumplings with 2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter.
Serve with a side of sour cream and fried onions or in a bowl of borscht.
From Kramarczuk’s Family Classics by Orest & Katie Kramarczuk
