Making Pierogies

 It seems that I have a lot of friends that don't cook.  One of them is expecting out of town guests in a couple weeks and she wants to serve them pierogies. Almost every church basement in my area has a bunch of Polish or Slovakian women pumping these out for sale  but my friend said that she wants to serve mine.  So, like a group of Polish women, I made solo pierogies yesterday. Pierogies can be filled with many things but when I make them to give away, I play it safe and make a mashed potato and cheese filling.  Almost everyone likes them made this way. I made mashed potatoes with some grated cheddar and added diced chives which I added after taking this photo.

The dough is 2 cups of flour, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp. salt, 4 tablespoons of soft butter and 1/2 cup of sour cream.  Wrap it and refrigerate for an hour before proceeding.

Roll it out very thin and cut it into rounds.

Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each round and crimp the edges.


I let them sit out a bit to dry out. The goal is to cook them without splitting or opening up.  Just like ravioli.

Boil them in salted boiling water and place them in some melted butter to coat.  Slice a couple onions and saute' them in a bit of butter just until they begin to soften.  Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Lightly pan fry the pierogies until they begin to brown.

Serve them with a dollop of sour cream.  This might look easy but these took 6-1/2 hours from beginning to end.  I froze half of them for my friend and sent these to my guests.

Comments

Anonymous said…
we love love love them in our house, and although fiddly to make they always taste better than store bought,,you are a good friend, I'm sure they loved them!!!
Ian's Girl said…
I've never tried one, they look and sound GOOD!


In Southern CA, the church ladies in Hispanic areas sell tamales to raise money. I love all the regional differences, yet similarities, in our county!
Susan said…
Of course your friend don't cook! Why on earth would they? If I were your friend, living close enough to receive any of the wonders that come out of your kitchen, I wouldn't touch a pot or pan again.
Anonymous said…
I really like pierogies and tasted lots of different fillings but never mashed potatoes and cheese, must be delicious! I'll try that next time I make some!

Have a great day!
Christer.
Kay said…
Oh my gosh! I'll bet everyone wants to be your friend.
Craig said…
Six and a half hours! That's a real labour of love! But they do look really good.
greekwitch said…
I don't know what these are but they seem fantastic. It is so sad we don't live near by, I would be one of those lucky friends. I remember when you had sent us your granola, till then I thought it was just cereal, and we almost fought over it with my husband. We even ate some that had spilled into the box. Then I tried to do your recipe and failed miserably. You are amazing! You should definitely open a bnb or a restaurant or teach!!
Guillaume said…
You make me discover the most original dishes.
Gwen Buchanan said…
oh my gosh, I would love to taste them. I love pierogies. smart girl
Mary Ann said…
At my very last job, a temp worked for us for about two years. She was a baker by love... (and opened a bakery when she left us). She made pierogies, and once a few had tasted them, she was kept constantly busy making them for lots of people in the building. They were wonderful!
Dria said…
We are Polish lol. I make these every thanksgiving. Girl do I know what you mean!!! It is a laborious process and the only reason my boyfriend is with me. ;) lol

I do potato and ricotta cheese mixture. I put sugar/eggs in the ricotta.