I made a big ham dinner for Easter and had so many leftovers that I didn't get any Dyngus Day pierogies, but still had a craving for them, so I made these earlier this week. I apologize for the quality of the picture, as I had to take it with my phone. Also on the plate is locally made smoked Polish sausage and sauerkraut.
Pierogies
Dough Ingredients:
2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces
Preparation of dough:
To prepare the pierogie dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Each batch of dough makes about 12-15 pierogies, depending on size.
Prepare the filling:
Cook 5 medium potatoes. I cooked them in the microwave, cut them in half and scraped out the potato to minimize the amount of moisture. Sauté 1 finely chopped medium onion in 2 Tbsp. butter. Put potatoes, butter & onions, 3/4 cup of cottage cheese and salt & pepper to taste in the food processor and mix until smooth. (note: I wanted less moisture in the potatoes, as I was using cottage cheese, which has more moisture than farmers cheese). Allow mixture to cool.
Prepare the Pierogies:
Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. I used my pasta maker). Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.
Boil the pierogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.
Sauté chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy. Serve with a side of sour cream.