Beat the egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and kefir in a medium bowl.

Add the sifted flour in stages, stirring with a wooden spoon at the beginning. When you can’t mix with the spoon anymore, start kneading the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes.

Make a large ball of dough, and let it stand (covered with a clean towel) for about 15 minutes.

Roll the ball of dough into a log.

Using a knife or dough scraper, divide into small pieces that you can then flatten thinly with your hands or a rolling pin.

Fill each piece with a teaspoon of sour cherries, a pinch of icing sugar sprinkled over the cherries, fold in half, and then close them, pinching the dough between your fingers.

In a pot, add water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the varenyky (don’t overcrowd the pot) and put the lid on until they start boiling. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook them until they lift to the surface (the timing depends on how thick your dough is). For thin dough, it can take just 2 minutes.

Drain them and plate them.

Serve them with varenye or your favorite jam.