Pierogi Party

Pierogis have to be the ultimate comfort food! I was inspired to make some after hearing a fabulous story on NPR, so last weekend I met up with my buddies for a great day of pierogi making. It was definitely a labor of love, but the pierogis were great and everyone really enjoyed our Polish supper!

Filling
2 lbs farmer’s cheese (ricotta or cottage cheese can be used—just make sure it’s nice and smooth by pushing it through a sieve)

2 egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar (to taste)

Combine the cheese with the egg yolks, add the salt and sugar, and set aside while you prepare the dough.

The proportions of this recipe can be adjusted according to how much dough you’re planning on making.

Dough (makes approximately 35-40)

4 cups flour

2 eggs

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

enough water to make the ingredients stick to together

Mix the ingredients to the consistency of bread dough. Cut the dough ball into four portions so that you can work with one quarter at a time. Cover the remaining dough with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Roll out the dough on a floured board, until it is about 1/4” thick, and then cut into 3 inch circles.

Don’t worry if the circles are a little on the thick side, as you can roll them out a bit more after you’ve cut them. In fact the pierogis are a little easier to pinch if they’re slightly larger!

Take a dough circle in your hand, and stretch it out slightly. Place about a teaspoon of the cheese filling in the middle. Fold the circle in half and pinch the edge to make a half-moon shape.

Cook a few pierogis at a time in boiling water until they float to the top (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Then lay them out on wax paper to dry, as you finish cooking the rest of the batch.

At this point you can freeze them, or fry them in a little butter and onions and serve. We served them with kielbasa,golumpkis and proper rye bread. 

Let me know how you enjoy them!