Title: Vushka or Pilminy Ear Dumplings>
Categories: Holiday Asian Bread Ethnic European
Yield: 10 Servings
| 2 | c | Unbleached All-Purpose Flour |
| 1 | ts | Salt |
| 1 | lg | Egg Yolk |
| 1/2 | c | Evaporated Milk; OR |
| 1/2 | c | Whole Milk |
| 1 | ts | Oil Or Mrlted Butter |
Combine the flour and salt, blending well. Add the milk, egg yolk, and
oil, again blending well. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Knead for about
minutes and form into a ball. (This may be done in a processor.) Cover and
set aside for 15 minutes or so. On a floured surface, roll out a third of
the dough, into a rectangle 1/8th inch thick. Turn the dough and roll from
the center, so that all the dough in the rectangle is even in thickness.
Run a hand under the dough to loosen it. Dust with flour and flip over and
dust with flour. With a sharp knife, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares. Place a
teaspoon of mushroom filling (see the next recipe in this series) in each
square, being careful not to smear the edges. Fold on the diagonal to make
a triangle. Pinch together the two bottom corners, wrapping it around your
thumb with the point up (to resemble small ears on a cat), making sure that
the edges have bonded or the stuffing will boil out. Place on cookie sheets
covered with dish towels lightly dusted with flour. Repeat with the other
pieces of dough, saving the scraps for last as the dough gets a little
tougher when worked. Drop 10 or 12 vushka into 6 to 8 cups of rapidly
boiling water and stir once with a wooden spoon, (The wooden spoon is very
important as a metal one will lower the temperature of the water.) Do NOT
cover. When they float to the top, cook 1 minut, then remove with a
slotted spoon to a strainer. Cool on a lightly oiled plate without
crowding. Repeat until all are cooked. Cover and set aside. These may be
frozen and then reheated in boiling water. (DO NOT overcook when
reheating.) TO SERVE: Place 4 or 5 vushka in soup plates and pour hot
borscht over them. Origin: Anna Palechev, Almaty-Kazakhstan, circa 1993