Perfect Little Pierogies

It's been awhile since my last post ... almost a month to be exact!  The holiday season went by in the blink of an eye and I didn't want to miss one precious moment with my fam.  I was thinking of you all though, and my next yummy post.  I couldn't wait to share a little nod to my heritage and to all of the wonderful women in my family tree.  My grandmother, aunts, and mother all played a large part in my "foodiness".  Some of the fondest memories that I have are memories of Christmas Eve dinners with the family.  Pierogies are my favorite dish on the Christmas Eve dinner table and I'm so thankful to all of those ladies who helped to foster my love for some Polish foods.  Last year, my first attempt at pierogie making was a complete fail.  My filling wasn't very flavorful and I didn't understand exactly how thin I really needed the dough - I ended up with a thick, gummy mess.  This year was thankfully quite the opposite - they were nothing short of crispy, buttery perfection.  Just a warning - this was a two day process for me:  I made the dough and filling the day before actually assembling and cooking the pierogies.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.  Here's to best dishes and yummy dreams into the new year!

xo,

Perfect Little Pierogies

-Dough recipe courtesy of:  About.com by A. Powell

Filling recipe - A Little Mommy creation :)

Printable recipe

Makes 20-30 pierogies

Dough ingredients:

4 c. flour, plus extra for rolling out dough

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened and cut into small pieces

Filling ingredients:

5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

3/4 - 1 c. mild shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 onion, grated with juices

1/3 c. milk

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1-2 Tbsp. chopped chives

Preparing the dough:

1.  In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt.

2.  Beat the eggs and then add them to the flour mixture.

3.  Add the sour cream and butter.  

4.  Work the dough for 5-7 minutes, or until it looses most of it's stickiness (not all of it).

5.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator overnight.

Preparing the filling:

1.  Boil the potato pieces and simmer until tender.

2.  Drain the potatoes and add them back into the hot pot from the stove.

3.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are evenly combined.

Making the pierogies:

1.  Remove only 1/3 of the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured surface.  Roll the dough as thin as you can get it without tearing it or creating holes.

2.  Use a cookie cutter, or the top of a small glass container (3-4 in. across) to cut out circles for the pierogies.

3.  Add 1-2 Tbsp. of filling to the center and enclose the filling by making a semi-circle.  Seal the edges with a fork. If the edges are not staying sealed, dip your finger in water and run it along the edges to help the dough stick together.

4.  Repeat this process until all of the pierogies are made.  I did not reuse the leftover dough from the cutouts because once it was warm, it was difficult to roll out again.

5.  In a large dutch oven, boil water.  Add the pierogies (half of the batch at a time) to the water.  Once they float, then the dough is cooked.  Remove and place in a large casserole dish with melted butter to prevent sticking.

6.  You may refrigerate, freeze, or pan fry at this point.  If you choose to fry, fry in a skillet with butter and onions.  

Click here to see where I shared this recipe!

Thanks for reading, loves xo