Vareniki with Cheese (Sweet Cottage Cheese Dumplings)

Sift 400 g of flour into a mound on the counter, make a well in the center, crack an egg into it, add a pinch of salt and pour in 200 ml of warm water.

Knead the dough by hand for 8–10 minutes, until it becomes smooth, elastic and no longer sticks to your hands; shape it into a ball, cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling: press the cottage cheese through a sieve or mash it with a fork, add the egg yolk, 2 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt, and mix thoroughly until smooth.

Roll out the rested dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 1.5–2 mm and cut out circles about 6–7 cm in diameter using a glass or a cutter.

Place about 1 tsp of filling, heaped, in the center of each circle, fold the dough in half into a half-moon shape and pinch the edges firmly with your fingers so the filling doesn't leak out during cooking.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (0.5 tsp salt per liter), carefully drop in the vareniki in batches of 10–12 and stir immediately with a wooden spoon so they don't stick to the bottom.

Cook for 3–4 minutes after the vareniki float to the surface, then remove them with a slotted spoon.

Immediately transfer the hot vareniki to a bowl, add 30 g of butter and gently toss so they don't stick together.

Serve the vareniki hot, with sour cream (120 g) — either on the side in a small bowl or spooned over the top.