Homemade Pierogies

To me, pierogies are like that comfort food that you just can't seem to get as often as you need to. Of course, I can always make mashed potatoes, chili, or a grilled cheese sandwich; but sometimes I just need something a little more particular.

 

With not-so-conventional fillings

Pierogies with Sour Cream (makes about 10-15 large or 20-30 small)
4 cups flour, plus extra for kneading dough
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened and cut into small peices
butter and onions to sautee them in once finished
filling of your choice [I used potatoes (5 large,peeled and boiled),onions (1 chopped and caramelized),cheddar cheese (about 6 oz),and bacon (about 10 strips,cooked]

I doubled the original recipe so I could have leftovers for a few days :)


Making the dough:
Mix together the flour and salt. Beat the eggs, then add them to the flour mixture.

Add the sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes).

I used a potato masher for this. Brilliant,I know!

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days

While the dough is in the fridge,this is the perfect time to prepare your filling, if you haven't already.

Assembling the pierogies:

Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick.This dough is very thick, so you'll have to beat it out, a rolling pin won't work that well here!

Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. I had trouble getting them as thin as they needed to be, so you may have to cut them slightly smaller than you want and them stretch them out individually to get the correct thickness of the dough.

This is my favorite bowl :)

Of course I had to make a few minis!

Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Wipe the corners of the dough with some egg wash for good measure.

Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

Once you have assembled your pierogies, boil them a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top. Place them in an ice bath to cool, and let them dry them before sauteing. I pan fry them in some oil alone (I'm picky when it comes to food that isn't dripping with chocolate or smothered in frosting) but you can saute them in butter or oil with some onions if you like.

Fried up and ready for dinner!

WARNING: The original recipe claims that this takes a mere 60 minutes to accomplish...don't believe it! Pure nonsense. It took closer to 2-3 hours to finish these bad boys, but let me tell you, it is completely worth it.
I highly recommend the filling I used. If you're going more traditional,of course they are delicious with simply potatoes and cheese; but the sweet caramelized onions and the salty bacon work together so well in this recipe, it's hard to pass up.

Store the leftovers that you don't devour immediately upon completion in an airtight container and they will last in the fridge for a few days up to a week depending on what you used as your filling.