Mennonite Foods, Part 1

         Since I am posting my food photos in order, it's time for a brief interlude from foods that I have cooked in my cozy apartment.  That's right - it's Kansas Mennonite Central Committee Sale time!!  These photos were from the 2014 MCC Sale.This is one of the only times of the year that I get these traditional Mennonite foods - so you can bet that I prepare my stomach to indulge days in advance.  I have not actually made most of the Mennonite food recipes at home, but my family does usually fry up a batch of New Year's Cookies each New Year's Day.  I do have the recipes, though, so making verenike is definitely on my "someday" cooking list (when I can find somewhere that sells dry curd cottage cheese...).  Feel free to beat me to it!

New Year's Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp. yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3 cups raisins, soaked & drained

7 cups flour

5 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 1/2 cups warm milk

2 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 tsp. salt

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.

2. Mix together 2 cups flour, eggs, sugar, butter, milk, baking powder, and salt.  

3. Mix in yeast mixture.

4. Combine raisins with 1 cup flour.  Stir into batter mixture.

5. Add 4 additional cups of flour.

6. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.  

7. Heat vegetable oil in pan or deep fat fryer.  Use cookie scoop to dip batter.  Deep fat fry cookies until browned.

8. Drizzle with glaze, roll in granulated sugar, or dust with powdered sugar.

Glaze Recipe:

Mix 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar with 3 Tbsp. of milk.  Add more milk as needed to reach desired consistency.  

My Notes: These are so addictive-ly delicious, especially if they are eaten hot and fresh! More than one recipe of glaze will be necessary to coat a whole recipe of New Years' Cookies. This version of the recipe is from my church's 200th anniversary cookbook.  

Verenike

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups dry-curd cottage cheese

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

4 eggs

3 3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup water

4 tsp. vegetable oil

Gravy

3 Tbsp. butter

1 cup cubed ham

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

2 1/2 cups warm millk

Directions

1. Blend cottage cheese, black pepper, and 2 eggs until smooth.  Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, milk powder, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

3. Beat together remaining 2 eggs, water, and vegetable oil.  Combine with flour mixture.

4. On a floured surface, knead dough about 10 times.  Divide dough in half and roll each portion to 1/8" thickness.

5. Cut out rounds with a 4" round cutter.  

6. Place 1 Tbsp. of the cottage cheese filling at the center of each circle.  Moisten the edge and fold it over to form a half-moon shape.  Pinch to seal.

7. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add half of the verenike and cook 8-10 minutes or until tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.  Repeat with the other verenike.

8. For the gravy, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Stir in the ham and cook until browned.

9. Add the flour, salt, and black pepper.  Stir.

10. Pour in the milk all at once, whisking constantly. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.  Serve over the verenike.

My Notes: This version of the recipe came from myslys' post on food.com.  The more gravy (and the more ham in the gravy), the better - so adjust the recipe as necessary to satisfy your tastes.  A trick for cooking the verenike is that they should begin to float when they are cooked through.