Pierogiesdough Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Make a well in the center.
• In a separate bowl mix together the vegetable oil, warm water, and beaten egg. Pour into the well of the dry ingredients. Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cover dough and let rest for 2 hours. Roll out and fill as desired.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together lightly in bowl.
• Knead until smooth.
• Let rest, covered, 30 minutes.
• Using half of the dough at a time, roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cut circles with biscuit cutter or floured glass.
• Fill with a golf-ball sized hunk of filling (described separately), pinch to seal.
• Boil 5-8 minutes, until floating.
• Fry in butter until crisp.

Steps:

• Make a well from the flour. Add eggs and about 1/2 cup of water. The amount of water will vary according to the weather. You want to make a stiff dough. Divide it into 3 equal portions and knead until silky smooth.
• Fillings: We usually make cheese and kapusta (sauerkraut), but you can use meat, potatoes, or even fruit.
• Saute onion in butter until just soft. Add kapusta and brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow time for the filling to cool before assembling pierogi, otherwise they will fall apart when cooked. If making more than one filling, this one can cool while you prepare the others.
• Mix well.
• To assemble and cook pierogi: Roll out a portion (or half portion, if space is limited) of the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible -- somewhere between a wonton and a thin pizza. Put about a tablespoon of filling on the dough and use a large plastic cup (a big gulp-type cup works really well) to cut a circle around the filling. Dampen half of the circumference of the circle with a bit of water on your finger and fold into a dumpling. Boil the dumplings a dozen at a time in a big pot of salted water until they float -- no more than 3 minutes. At this point you can freeze them in bags for later use. To prepare for serving, brown the pierogi in a skillet using a bit of butter. If you want to be really traditional you can use bacon grease. Alternately, you can bake them in a casserole, spraying both the casserole and the pierogi with a butter flavored spray, and putting a few pats of butter on top of the dumplings.

Steps:

• Combine the flour, milk and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse until the dough forms into a ball.
• Roll out the dough on a floured board and cut into 2 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch squares. Drop about 2 teaspoons of mashed potato in the center of a dough square. Dip a finger in water, run it around the edge of the square, fold the potato inside and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and potato filling. Place the finished pierogies onto floured sheet pans.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the pierogies in. When they all float to the top, they are done, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain and place in a bowl.
• While the pierogies are cooking, in large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and saute until medium brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour over the pierogies, gently toss and serve.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together, either in a food processor or by hand.
• Form into a ball; cover and let rest approximately 30 minutes.
• Roll dough out onto a board or counter until about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut circles with large cookie cutter or drinking glass.
• Choose filling (see options below) and place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling onto each circle of dough.
• Fold dough over filling and crimp with fork, moistening with water if necessary.
• (Option 2: before cutting dough, place filling approximately 3 inches apart on half the sheet of dough, then fold over the other half and cut around mounds.).
• To cook finished pierogies, boil at a low boil (do not over-crowd pierogies in the pot). When the pierogies float to the top, boil for another 5 minutes or so. Remove with slotted spoon and place on cookie sheets to cool. They can then be frozen (or served) and when reheated, can be deep fried, pan-cooked in butter, microwaved (not as tasty) or re-boiled (more bland). Suggested to freeze 1 dozen per bag.
• Filling Variations:.
• Potato and cheese pierogies: 5 lbs of potatoes, boiled until tender and mashed (no milk, just potatoes), mixed with 1 1/2 pounds of your favorite cheese (cheddar is good). Best reheated with pan-cooked method (with butter).Serve with fried onions and butter after cooked.
• Mexican pierogies: (I made these up).
• 1 1/2 lb taco meat (made your favorite way) mixed with 1/2 lb mexican cheese. Deep fry reheat method (or pan fry). Serve cooked pierogies topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalepenos, sour cream and salsa. Awesome!
• Cheesteak pierogies: (I made these up too).
• 1 large box of your favorite brand of chip steak cooked with 1/2 lb of swiss (or your favorite) cheese. Deep fry or pan fry reheat method. Top cooked pierogies with your favorite tomato or pasta sauce and onions.

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine flour and salt; cover and pulse to blend. Add water, eggs and butter; cover and pulse until dough forms a ball, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed. Let rest, covered, 15 to 30 minutes., Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions in butter until tender; set aside., Drain potatoes. Over very low heat, stir potatoes until steam has evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Press through a potato ricer or strainer into a large bowl. Stir in cream cheese, salt, pepper and onion mixture; set aside., Divide dough into 4 parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a floured 3-in. biscuit cutter. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in center of each circle. Moisten edges with water; fold in half and press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil over high heat; add pierogi in batches. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer; cook until pierogi float to the top and are tender, 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. In a large skillet, saute 4 pierogi and onion in butter until pierogi are lightly browned and heated through; sprinkle with parsley. Repeat with remaining pierogi. Freeze option: Place cooled pierogi on waxed paper-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pans; freeze until firm. Transfer to an airtight freezer container; freeze up to 3 months. To use, for each serving, in a large skillet, saute 4 pierogi and 1/4 cup chopped onion in 1 tablespoon butter until pierogi are lightly browned and heated through; sprinkle with minced fresh parsley.

Steps:

• Place unpeeled potato in a large saucepan, and cover by 2 inches with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, and peel while still hot, holding the potato with a clean kitchen towel. Pass the potato through a food mill fitted with the finest disk or a potato ricer into a large bowl.
• Sift flour, potato starch or cornstarch, and remaining salt into the bowl with the potato, and combine with a wooden spoon. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, creme fraiche or sour cream, and butter, and add to the potato mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and firm. Let rest, covered, for about 10 minutes. Lightly flour a clean work surface, and roll out the dough to slightly thinner than 1/8 inch. Use a 3 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter to cut out circles; set them aside on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover them with plastic wrap while preparing the filling.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. In a small bowl, beat eggs together with 2 tablespoons water. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour eggs into well. Incorporate eggs by stirring in the flour mixture from sides of well a little at a time.
• When the dough begins to come together, transfer to a clean flat surface and knead until dough comes together in a smooth ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand at least 1 hour at room temperature or up to 1 day, refrigerated.

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Put flour in a large shallow bowl and make a well in center. Add water, egg, oil, and salt to well and carefully beat together with a fork without incorporating flour. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually incorporating flour, until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes (dough will be very soft). Invert a bowl over dough and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Make filling while dough stands:
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes, then transfer to a bowl along with cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mash with a potato masher or a handheld electric mixer at low speed until smooth.
• When mashed potatoes are cool enough to handle, spoon out a rounded teaspoon and lightly roll into a ball between palms of your hands. Transfer ball to a plate and keep covered with plastic wrap while making 47 more balls in same manner (there will be a little filling left over).
• Make onion topping:
• Cook onion in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally (stir more frequently toward end of cooking), until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Form and cook pierogies:
• Halve dough and roll out 1 half (keep remaining half under inverted bowl) on lightly floured surface (do not overflour surface or dough will slide instead of stretching) with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 15-inch round (1/8 inch thick), then cut out 24 rounds with lightly floured cutter. Holding 1 round in palm of your hand, put 1 potato ball in center of round and close your hand to fold round in half, enclosing filling. Pinch edges together to seal completely. (If edges don't adhere, brush them lightly with water, then seal; do not leave any gaps or pierogi may open during cooking.) Transfer pierogi to a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and cover with another towel. Form more pierogies in same manner.
• Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add half of pierogies, stirring once or twice to keep them from sticking together, and cook 5 minutes from time pierogies float to surface. Transfer as cooked with a slotted spoon to onion topping and toss gently to coat. Cook remaining pierogies in same manner, transferring to onions. Reheat pierogies in onion topping over low heat, gently tossing to coat.