Lazy dumplings, or “leniwe” as they are called in Poland, are extremely easy to make. The word “leniwe” translates to lazy because these dumplings require very little effort to prepare.
Leniwe or Lazy Dumplings are the ultimate Polish comfort food
These plump diamond shaped dumplings bring back memories of my childhood. When I was a kid, my mom would make “leniwe” for me as an afternoon snack or quick lunch.
Lazy dumplings are very satisfying and easy to digest. Packed with protein, because of the eggs and cheese, and good source of energy, when you need an extra boost in the middle of the day.
Enjoy them sweet or savory
You can prepare them on the savory side or serve them sweet. Having a sweet tooth, I like them served with some sour cream or melted butter, with a little bit of sugar sprinkled on top. You can also add some cinnamon if you like the flavor.
Use Farmer’s Cheese to make your Dumplings extra fluffy
The basis of these delicious and fluffy dumplings is farmer’s cheese. Farmer’s cheese or “twarog”, as we call it in Poland is very popular and it’s a staple in most Polish households.
Twarog is great for making sandwiches, salads, and readily used in cooking and baking. The slightly tart taste compliments the sweet or savory flavors very nicely.
Although in the U.S. I found that cream cheese is the popular ingredient in dessert recipes calling for cheese, when I used it for this recipe, it makes the dumplings less airy and a bit dense. If you prefer your lazy dumplings plump, I highly recommend trying to either use farmer’s cheese, or if you have a Polish store nearby, try making them with “Twarog.”
Less flour will make them more airy
I also reduce the amount of flour. Three quarters of a cup or one cup of flour maximum per two cups of farmer’s cheese is ideal. Less flour makes them even more airy. If the dough is too wet, I sprinkle some extra flour on the working area so that when I roll it, it coats the dough, making it easier to work with it.
For this recipe I use Polish wheat flour type 500 “Poznanska”, but you can also use All-Purpose or the 00 Italian flour.
Lazy Dumplings "Leniwe"
Ingredients
- 2 cups farmers cheese about 450 grams
- 2 whole eggs
- ¾ cups wheat flour "Poznanska" type 500
- +1 tbsp wheat flour for dusting the working area
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- ⅓ tsp salt
Instructions
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Using two medium mixing bowls, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
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Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff.
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In a seperate mixing bowl combine farmers cheese with egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Use a fork to break apart the farmer's cheese, and then use a spoon to mix the ingredients together.
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Add the beaten egg whites.
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Then add the flour, and mix all the ingredients together until unified.
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In a medium saucepan, boil about 4-5 cups of water with a ⅓ teaspoon of salt.
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While the water is heating up, take half of the mixed dough and roll it out with your hands on top of a well-floured surface. It's alright if the dough is a bit moist. A light coating of flour from your working surface will make it easier to shape it into a log. Resist the temptetion to add more flour to the dough, otherwise your dumplings might turnout a bit dense.
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Once rolled into a smooth log, using a knife, gently dent the surface on an angle from both ends so you end up with a diamond pattern.
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Slice each dumpling on an angle so that you obtain a diamond-like shape. Repeat until all the dumplings are cut.
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Boil the dumplings for about 2-3 minutes maximum. Avoid over-boiling them, otherwise they'll start to fall apart.
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Serve them shortly after boiling with some butter, cinnamon, snd sugar sprinkled on top. You can also enjoy them with just melted butter or sour-cream.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
no eggs listed on ” ingredients” list
how many eggs?
Ooops! Thanks Mary for pointing it out. This recipe calls for two eggs, very sorry about that. Just corrected it 🙂
Ile jajek dajesz do te ilosci maki/twarogu?
Pozdrowienia, dzieki
Elzbieta Piegsa
Ojejku, dziękuje Elizabeth. Wlasnie zauważyłam. Do tego przepisu uzywam dwa jajka. Juz przepis poprawilam. Te leniwe sa super, i jeśli sie spieszysz, to nie musisz ubijac białek osobno.
Pozdrawiam,
Ola
A jak bys przemienila to na kopyka?