Aunt Annas Perogies Recipe 475

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until fork tender. Mash and add the onions and parsley that have been sauteed in the butter. Stir in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Combine all of the dough ingredients and knead for a few minutes. Roll out thin but not paper thin and cut into 3 inch circles or 4" cutter. Put a half a tablespoon on each round, fold and pinch shut. Place on floured surface until you are ready to boil them. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop perogies carefully into pot, cooking in batches so the water holds a boil. Boil about 20 minutes. (Frozen perogies 25 minutes.) Drain. Garnish with sauteed onions, more grated cheese and parsley.

Steps:

• 1. Mix the flour and salt in a deep mixing bowl.
• 2. Add egg, oil and water to make a medium soft dough.
• 3. Knead dough on a floured surface until the dough is smooth. Do NOT over knead dough or it will become tough!
• 4. Divide your dough into two parts and cover them. Allow to set covered for at least 15 minutes.
• 5. Prepare Filling: Boil potatoes until they are soft. Drain and return to pot.
• 6. Melt butter and oil on medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Just till onions are softened. Lower your heat and cook until onions are lightly browned or carmelized. Season with salt and pepper. ( You can add more butter while cooking to avoid the onions burning)
• 7. Add onions once they are cooled to potatos. Then add cheese. Mash until all large potato lumps are gone and cheese and onions are blended into potatoes. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Set aside.
• 8. Prepare pierogies: Roll the dough out thin on a floured surface. Cut circles using a large biscuit cutter, or the mouth of a large glass. Place a spoonful of potatoe and cheese filling in each circle and fold over to make a half circle. Make sure no filling is near the edges. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal each pierogi. Making sure they are sealed well so filling doesnt come out while cooking. Put filled pierogi on a floured surface and cover with a tea towel to keep them from drying up. ( you can seal them with a little water & press down on edges with a fork to help keep them from coming apart while cooking)
• 9. Cooking Pierogies: COOKING: Drop a few pierogies (about 6)into a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water. (I add oil to the water to help prevent them from sticking together) Do not cook too many at a time or they will not cook correctly. Stir VERY gently with a wooden spoon to separate pierogies and to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot or each other. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until they are puffed up. Remove pierogies from water with a slotted spoon or skimmer and transfer to a colander to drain completely. Transfer to a deep dish, and generously add melted butter to prevent them from sticking.
• 10. Serve with melted butter and fried onions To reheat: Pan fry in butter until browned and serve with onions or scallions, or deep fry and brush with butter before serving (I love them this way) Freezing:If you choose not to cook all the pierogies at this time, you can refrigerate uncooked pierogies for several days or freeze them for several months.

Steps:

• To Make Dough: In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, egg and water. Mix all together to form dough; cover bowl and set aside.
• To Make Potato Filling: Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 25 to 35 minutes or until tender. Remove potatoes from water and mash. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and stir into mashed potatoes. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• To Make Sauerkraut Filling: Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and place in a medium bowl. Stir in sauerkraut, then sour cream. Mix well.
• Roll reserved dough out on a floured surface. Cut circles out of dough, using a small round container. Place a spoonful of potato or sauerkraut filling in the center of each circle and fold over, pinching edges together to seal. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; drop perogies in boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they float.

Steps:

• CREPES In a blender container, blend the water, milk, eggs and butter. Add the flour and salt, blend until smooth and free of lumps. Pour into a bowl and allow the batter to rest for an hour. Heat an 8" non-stick skillet to medium heat. Have waiting melted butter and a pastry brush. Brush a light coat of butter over the surface and when hot, with a ladle, pour in 2-3 tablespoons of batter. Quickly and carefully tilt the pan in a rotating motion until the batter forms a thin, round layer in the pan. Let cook, 30 seconds or more until the bottom is set and starting to color. Lift a set edge with a fork or small offset spatula and flip the crepe over, cooking a bit longer until the bottom side is set (will be a bit shiny in places). Remove to a plate. Lightly grease the pan, and repeat the process, continuing until all of the batter has been used, you should have around 10-12 crepes. FILLING Combine all of the ingredients well in a bowl. SAUCE Heat an 8" skillet over medium. Glaze with olive oil and sauté the sausage, turning and crumbling until no longer pink and beginning to brown. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, heat a 3 qt. sauce pan to medium. Add the olive oil, Add the garlic and the potato, stirring and cooking until fragrant ( do not allow the potato to crisp and brown). Add the pureed tomatoes, the sausage and any accumulated juices from the pan, a pinch of salt and some grindings of pepper. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking until thick and flavorful, 20-30 minutes. Taste and decide whether you would like to add the optional sugar for sweetness. Check for salt. Allow sauce to cool at least 10 minutes. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8" x 12 ½" Pyrex or other non-metallic baking dish. Ladle some sauce onto the bottom of the dish, enough to cover. Assemble the manicotti. Select your 10 most beautiful crepes. Shinier side up, (the second side cooked), scoop a thick line (approx. 2 tablespoons), of filling along the center of each crepe, and roll wrapper around filling. Filling should extend to the ends. Line up filled manicotti in the sauce-covered dish. Snuggle them together - 10 will fill the dish perfectly. Pour over the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and sprinkle with a little more chopped basil. Bake, uncovered 35-40 minutes until hot and bubbling. Place under a high broiler a couple of minutes to if you desire to further brown the cheese. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.