Pierogi

By slane2

Traditional Ukrainian recipe from my stepmom.

Ingredients

• Filling:
• 5 C flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 C oil
• 1 1/2 C instant potato flakes
• 1 t salt
• 2 C hot water (not boiling)
• Mashed potatoes, sauteed onions, cheese, butter.

Preparation

Step 1

For dough: Combine dry ingredients. Make hole in the centre and add hot water and oil. Stir and work dough until smooth. Place dough in a plastic bag and let rest at room temperature at least 2 hours before using. While dough is resting, make filling (no recipe for this - just mix mashed potatoes, cheese, and a bit of fried onion with "enough butter so it sticks.")

Roll dough thin and cut out circles. Add a dollop of filling to one side, then fold circle over and pinch to seal.

Line cookie sheets with clean tea towels. Put pierogi on tray and cover with a tea towel so they don't dry out. Boil in batches in a large pot with salted water. Put in about 12-15 pierogies per pot (using large dutch oven.) When they float, remove with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a colander to drain well. Coat with melted butter. In a single layer, put pierogies back onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze on tray; once solid, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and freeze until ready to cook.

When ready to cook, boil in salted water until they float. Remove from pan and lightly fry in a pan with butter and diced onions. Serve with sour cream (full fat, of course!)

Tips from grandma: "You can't over work pierogi dough. Knead it a lot because there's no such thing as overworked pierogi dough. When you roll it, don't make it too thick. Roll it thin or they'll be too doughy. "