The dumplings of my people - Pierogi Time!

Usually, in honor of Lunar New Year, I’m folding dumplings with my sister in law, but I was on the East Coast playing in the snow (and having dim sum in Chinatown) this week instead. When I got home, what I was really craving were pierogis, but my Safeway didn’t have my Mrs. T’s. What’s a girl to do?

I’ve been eyeing @Dinnerwithjulie’s recipe for pierogis for a while (since she posted it in 2016 to be exact). Today was the day to make the dumplings of my Eastern European people!

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Pierogi Dough:

5c. AP Flour

1 tsp salt

½ c. neutral oil (I used avocado)

1 large egg

2 c. recently boiled (very hot) water (I used the water from the potatoes)

Filling:

Mashed potatoes (I used 3 russett potatoes, boursin cheese, 2TB of butter, salt/pepper, and ½ onion, caramelized) 

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Dough:

Mix flour and salt to evenly distribute. Whisk egg and oil together in a small bowl then add to flour mix. Combine until it resembles coarse crumbs (I didn’t do a great job here…my dough was lumpy). Once at that point, add 2 cups of super hot water and mix until it looks like a rough dough. Let the dough rest for 15-30 minutes. 

Filling: Boil potatoes until a fork goes in smoothly. Drain, throw back in the pot and put butter and boursin in to start melting (make sure you eat some as a snack). Caramelize the onions low and slow and add. Mash the potatoes (if you’re feeling wild, you can rice them). Set aside to cool. 

I tried two ways of rolling the dough - one worked, one didn’t. Cut the dough into 2 pieces and roll one at a time into large ¼ inch thick circles. Use a 3 inch circle biscuit/cookie cutter and cut into rounds. Add a spoonful of mashed potatoes, fold over the dough, and pinch the edges together into a half moon. 

To cook, boil until the pierogi float to the surface. Pull them out and throw into a frying pan with melted butter (and some shredded cabbage, onion, and kielbasa if you want to follow my lead). Brown on each side and plate (with sour cream, if you're so inclined).

Ok, these are head and tails better than Mrs T's (or, any other frozen pierogi for that matter)! I popped the rest (uncooked) in the freezer so I can have them whenever I want!