Whether you want the shortcut version or you’ll roll up your sleeves and make them from scratch, you can make your own kreplach.
Kreplach may be that one recipe that you don’t make. You either buy it, or wait for your mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunt, adopted mom, Rebbetzin… really anyone OLDER than you who knows how to make kreplach. But suddenly, before you know it, you realize that no one is making it for you. Or you grew up and decided you are adult enough to really make a pretty simple recipe.
How simple? If you can buy kreplach dough in your kosher freezer section. Then it’s really super simple.
If you can’t or prefer not to buy kreplach dough (shoutout to all of you who make a lot of your own from scratch recipes!) I’ve included my grandmother’s fantastic kreplach dough recipe too.
Since BCP is all about busy Jewish women, every Jewish woman should have some good basics up her sleeve. We’ve got lots more Jewish basics, including potato kugel, chicken soup, cholent, chummus, lehme b’agine, and cheese blintzes! Check out more BCP Basics here. If it’s not your tradition, we’ve got some other choices! Perhaps you need a recipe for sambousak or Syrian calsones?
Let’s get back to kreplach. Three times a year my grandmother makes hundreds of kreplach and sends them wrapped well in bags tied with twist ties. Before Yom Kippur, Simchas Torah and Purim her kreplach are stuffed with chicken (some use meat) and we serve them in the soup like a wonton. But on Shavous they are fried with breadcrumbs and it just doesn’t seem like Shavous without them.
Prepare the filling.
Stretch out each circle slightly and place a teaspoon of filling in the center.
Fold dough over to form a half circle.
Bring water to a boil. Add up to 20 kreplach into the hot water.
Remove the kreplach and place in a bowl with cold water.
At this point you can freeze them layered with paper between layers.
Before serving:
Dip defrosted kreplach into a shallow bowl of breadcrumbs.
Fry in butter and/or oil.
Cheese Kreplach
Ingredients
- 1 package of 36 kreplach rounds, defrosted
OR Kreplach Dough:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- pinch salt
- 3 tbsp water
Cheese Filling:
- 1 lb farmer cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp flour or farina
To cook:
- 6 quarts water, for boiling
- butter and/or oil
- breadcrumbs
- sugar
Instructions
- To prepare dough: In a mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix dough ingredients until well combined. From into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (don’t skip this step, or the dough won't roll out nicely).
- Divide the dough into 3 parts. Roll out one part of the dough as thin as possible, using flour to prevent sticking (don't add too much flour or the dough will become too hard). Using the rim of a glass or round cookie cutter, cut 2 ½ inch circles from the dough.
- Prepare the filling: Combine all ingredients. You may have some leftover filling.
- To assemble: Stretch out each circle slightly and place a teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold dough over to form a half circle. If necessary, wet fingertips and pinch edges together very well.
- Fill an 8 quart pot ¾ full with water (about 6 quarts) and a drop of oil. Bring water to a boil. Add up to 20 kreplach into the hot water. Stir and swirl kreplach around with a spoon. When the water boils again, lower the heat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the kreplach and place in a bowl with cold water. Let them chill. Drain. Toss drained kreplach in a drop of oil to prevent sticking.
- At this point you can freeze them layered with paper between layers.
- Before serving: Dip defrosted kreplach into a shallow bowl of breadcrumbs. Some like to add a little sugar to the breadcrumbs (about ¼ cup sugar to 2 cups bread crumbs) while others prefer to dust it with confectioners sugar when serving. Fry in butter or oil. Butter will burn fast, so you can do a mix of butter and oil, or just oil.
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