Colțunași cu brânză ’or ‘Chiroște’ – Cheese Dumplings

In Moldova, cheese dumplings come in two varieties. The first is ‘colțunași harnici’, which, if translated literally, means ‘hard-working dumplings’.

The second is ‘colțunași lenoși’, which translated means ‘lazy dumplings.’ Funnily enough, the names really come from the fact that hard-working dumplings require more effort and take longer to prepare than lazy dumplings.

‘Colțunași harnici’ generally consist of homemade unleavened dough wrapped around a filling of cheese. The dough packets are cooked by boiling them in salted water for a few minutes.

In more modern variations of this recipe, you can find various fillings (not just cheese), including sweet jams inside.