Instructions

Pierogies are a dough dumpling traditionally stuffed with potatoes, cheese, and/or sauerkraut. First boiled and then fried in butter, these little potato-filled pockets are irresistible. Here, I’m including our family’s favorite combination of potato, cheese, and sauerkraut in the recipe below. We serve these pierogi with Polish kapusta and everyone loves the combination.

Making homemade pierogi starts with a great filling. Simmer peeled, cut potatoes in a pot of water for 15 minutes until fork tender. Mash the cooked potatoes, then stick them in the fridge to cool completely.

2.      While the potatoes cool, saute the chopped onion in a little olive oil until softened. Add the onion and oil to the cooled potatoes along with the sauerkraut and farmer’s cheese. If you can’t locate any farmer’s cheese, you can use a mix of Monterrey jack and ricotta cheese.

3.      Now it’s time to make the dough. Basically, pierogi dough is a simple mixture of flour, egg, water, and just a touch of salt, not unlike homemade fresh pasta.

4.      After mixing together the flour and salt, crack an egg into the center of the bowl and combine with the flour mixture. Gradually add hot water to the bowl until your dough is soft and slightly sticky. If the dough appears too wet, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. Likewise, if the dough is too crumbly and dry, add more hot water a little at a time.

5.      Chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or so until cool and firm.

6.      Now comes the fun part. Basically, you’re going to roll out the dough, shape and stuff your pierogies, and then give them a bath in boiling hot water.

7.      Start the water boiling on the stove while you get all your ingredients out of the fridge and ready. Make sure to have counter space or table cleaned and cleared so you can put the pierogies together without interruption.

8.      First, divide the dough into four sections. Roll the first section out until it’s very thin, about 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut this section into circles, then place a tablespoon of the potato filling on each side.

9.      Fold the circles over and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat this with the other sections of the dough and then place your prepared pierogies in a single layer on a plate or pan.

10.   Plop the dumplings a few at a time into the boiling water. If they stick to the bottom of the pot, give them a quick nudge with a spoon or spatula. When the pierogies rise to the top, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a buttered plate to cool for a few minutes.

      Once slightly cooled, it’s time to fry your waiting pierogies in butter. Fry a few at a time until the edges are brown and crisp.

12.   You’ll be ready to sit down to a delicious, buttery plate full of Polish Pierogies in no time. These are satisfying enough all on their own as a snack, appetizer or even a meal.

From: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/how-to-make-pierogies-recipe/