Making Kreplach is a wonderful family project. It is time consuming, but not difficult, and the results do not need to be picture perfect.
Children love playing with the dough, and eating what they have made. An afternoon spent making Kreplach is an ideal time to pass on, and create, a bit of family history.
Preparing a traditional food is a marvelous way to remember and relate stories of days gone by. Perhaps you can tell the little ones about what it was like to make these when you were small. In turn, you can be sure that someday your grandchildren will hear a tale of the glorious goodies, and how they were made.

Dough Ingredients
4 cups Flour, All-Purpose or Semolina
2 teaspoons Salt
2 tablespoons Chicken Fat or Vegetable Oil
12 Egg Yolks
Method
This job is most easily done with a food processor, but can be accomplished by hand. In either case, the first step is to mix the Flour and Salt.
Next, whisk the Egg Yolks together with the Chicken Fat or Oil. If you are doing this in the food processor, use the metal blade, and put the Flour mixture in the bowl.
Pour the Egg mixture into the bowl, and pulse until the dough holds together. If you are doing this with your hands, rub a bit of Vegetable Oil into them before you start.
Pile the Flour Mixture onto a board, and make a well in the center.
Pour the Egg Mixture into the well and knead with your hands until the dough holds together. It will be very stiff. If the dough is too dry, add another Egg Yolk, but not Egg Whites or Water, which will make the dough tough.
Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to relax. You can make this dough the day before it is to be used.
Note: To use this Dough for Luckshen (Noodles), Flour a board, Roll thinly, and cut to the thickness you desire.
Allow them to dry for about 30 minutes, and then drop in boiling Soup or Water.
To make Spaetzle (Dumplings), drop small pieces of dough in boiling Soup or Water.
Spaetzle will sink to the bottom of the pan, and float to the top, when they are done.

Filling Ingredients
1 pound boneless Rib-Eye Steak (Do not use ground beef)
1/2 pound Portobello Mushrooms, chopped
2 large Onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 tablespoon Chicken Fat or Vegetable Oil
Method
Put the Oil in a large skillet and place it over a high flame.
Once the Oil is hot, put the Steak in the skillet and cook turning occasionally until done.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool until needed.
Place the skillet back on the stove over a medium flame.
Add the Mushrooms and Onions.
Cook and stir until thoroughly browned, but not burned.
Remove from heat.
The cooked Steak must now be finely chopped. The most simple way to do this is by cutting it in a few pieces and pulsing in the food processor. If you do not have a food processor, use a wooden bowl and meat chopper.
Add the chopped Steak to the skillet along with the Salt, Pepper, and Worcestershire Sauce.
Mix thoroughly.
Assembly You are going to need to roll the dough. This is most easily done with a pasta roller, but you can use a rolling pin on a floured board.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
Pinch off a piece about the size of a large Strawberry, keeping the rest of the dough covered.
Roll to 1/4 inch thick.
Place a tablespoon of Filling in the middle, and seal by wetting the edges and pressing them together well.
Be patient.
You will keep getting holes in the dough. Don't worry, just stick on a bit more and patch it.
Place the filled Kreplach on some waxed paper.
DO NOT let them touch each other, until they are cooked or frozen. They will stick, tear, and make you say unladylike things.
To Cook At this point, you can drop them in boiling Chicken Stock, where they will sink like lead, but rise as they are cooked. They are also very nice browned in Chicken Fat until crispy. You can, if you like, put them on a cookie sheet and freeze until needed.
Copyright 2002 Eddy Robey
Excerpts from It's Not Just Chicken Soup.
hosted by the Gantseh Megillah
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