Pierogi

Pierogi are a traditional Polish dumpling – one that I grew up eating, whether store-bought or homemade.  The ones filled with sauerkraut have always been my favorite, and I felt like it was a special treat between my mother and I since we were the only ones that would eat the sauerkraut.   When I decided to tackle these – I wanted to keep them as simple as possible, I made some filled with sauerkraut, some with mashed potatoes and some with Farmer cheese.    I loved each of them – so its hard to pick a favorite – but I still think plain sauerkraut wins in my book (it’s the lonely one in the photo that was cooked without the onions).  

Although this recipe is not hard to make – it did create quite the mess in my tiny kitchen.  Somehow flour ended up everywhere – and I started running out of room to put the finished pierogi.  I really should have taken a photo of the disaster zone.   But when all was said and cleaned-up, these were worth the mess.   These are a perfect addition to your Easter menu – you can make them in advance and freeze them to serve later too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

dough:

• 3 eggs
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder

fillings:

• sauerkraut
• mashed potatoes
• Farmer cheese or cottage cheese
• insert your desired filling here!

Directions

1. To make the dough: Beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together.

2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness.

3. Cut into 3 to 3.5 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter.

4. Place a tablespoonful of filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough.

5. If freezing – place them on lightly floured parchment paper on a baking sheet and freeze for about 20 minutes or so. Then place them in a larger air-tight container or storage bags.

6. To cook pierogi (frozen or fresh): Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogi and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

7. In a separate pan, melt together a tablespoon each of butter and canola oil.  [Sauté onions at this point, if using] Add boiled pierogi to pan and fry until golden brown on each side.

Source: Le Petit Pierogi

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