A Russian favorite, pelmeni hail from Siberia where they were traditionally carried along on winter hunting trips and buried in sacks in the snow, where they would keep for months. We prefer pelmeni served on their own with sour cream, but they may also be cooked and served in broth. Because these are a bit labor-intensive to make, find a friend or duty-bound loved one to help. To freeze pelmeni, see here.

Have ready:

Combine in a medium bowl:

Refrigerate the mixture while you roll out the dough. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and tightly cover 3 of the pieces with plastic wrap. Use a pasta roller or a rolling pin to roll out one piece of dough as thin as possible, about ¹⁄₁₆ inch. Use a 2- to 3-inch round cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Place a teaspoon of filling slightly off-center on each dough round, and fold the round in half, sealing the edges. Bring the two ends of the half-moon together and pinch them to form a plump circle. Place the shaped pelmeni on a floured baking sheet and loosely cover with a damp kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Dough scraps may be saved and rerolled once. If the dough becomes too dry to seal, dip your finger in a little water and moisten the edges of the dumplings before sealing. Let the pelmeni rest on the baking sheet for 45 minutes before cooking.

To cook, bring to a boil in a large pot:

Boil as many pelmeni as will fit comfortably in a single layer in the pot—do not crowd. When the pelmeni float, cook for 1 minute more. Cook frozen pelmeni for an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and cook remaining pelmeni. Serve with: