Pierogi Class JJC Spring 2021 Recipes

Classic Potato & Cheese Pierogi

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups (241g) unbleached ap flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream

• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, room temperature

Filling

• 1 cup (227g) warm mashed potatoes

• 1 cup (113g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

To finish

• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, cold

• 2 large (156g) shallots, diced; or one medium (156g) onion, sliced

• Bacon, sliced and rendered

Instructions

1. To make the dough: Mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg to the flour and combine. The dough will be quite clumpy at this stage.

2. Work in the sour cream and soft butter until the dough comes together in a slightly rough, slightly sticky ball.

3. Using just your fingertips, knead and fold the dough without adding additional flour until the dough becomes less sticky but still quite moist.

4. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes, or up to 48 hours.

5. To make the filling: Combine the warm mashed potato and cheese. Stir and mash until the cheese is melted and the filling is cool to the touch. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

6. To fill the pierogi: Roll half the dough 1/8" thick. Use a 2" round cutter to cut circles of dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Save the scraps; these can be snipped into small pieces and added to simmering soups. ROLL THESE CIRCLES INDIVIDUALLY AGAIN. They should almost double in size and be thin. This is key to good pierogi.

7. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, then seal again with the tines of a fork.

8. At this point the pierogi can be frozen for up to 4 weeks, or refrigerated overnight, or cooked in a large stockpot of boiling salted water. Only cook about 10 pierogi at a time, so that they have room to float without sticking. When the pierogi float, they're done. The time will vary depending on if they're fresh or frozen.

9. Sauté the shallots or onion in the butter and bacon fat in a large skillet until the onion begins to brown. Add the drained pierogi and cook until browned and crisped. Serve hot with additional sour cream, applesauce, or other condiments. Top with crispy bacon.

Fried Apple Pierogi:

Dough

• 2 cups (241g) unbleached ap flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream

• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, room temperature

Topping:

Medium sized bowl of cinnamon sugar to toss finished pierogi in

Sweet glaze (powdered sugar and milk until it's a drizzle-able consistency)

Sweet bacon (bacon covered in brown sugar and rendered in the oven until crispy)

Apple Pierogi Filling:

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 medium crisp apple, small/medium dice

• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, or more to taste depending on the apple

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, etc)

• kosher salt, to taste

• Cook on low/medium heat until apples are slightly tender and liquid is reduced to a thick syrup. If there's too much liquid in the pan and the apples are already tender, remove apples and reduce liquid until desired consistency, then reintroduce apples. This keeps them from overcooking.

1. To fill the pierogi: Roll half the dough 1/8" thick. Use a 2" round cutter to cut circles of dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Save the scraps; these can be snipped into small pieces and added to simmering soups. ROLL THESE CIRCLES INDIVIDUALLY AGAIN. They should almost double in size and be thin. This is key to good pierogi.

2. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, then seal again with the tines of a fork.

3. At this point the pierogi can be frozen for up to 4 weeks, or refrigerated overnight, or cooked in a large stockpot of vegetable or canola oil that is 375 degrees until they are golden brown on both sides. The pierogi have a tendency to lean more on one side than the other while frying, so using a large heat proof spoon or tongs, turn them occasionally so they brown evenly on both sides while frying.

4. Remove with a spider or tongs and drain as much oil as possible off while still over the pot of oil. Then, directly transfer to a bowl of cinnamon sugar to toss in. This must be done while the oil on the pierogi is still wet/hot so the sugar sticks. Serve immediately, enjoy!

These recipes are meant to inspire creativity and a comfortable vibe in the kitchen. They are forgiving recipes that highlight common ingredients that you likely already have at home in your fridge or pantry. Don't have one of the ingredients in one of these recipes that you want to make? No worries! There's probably a decent substitute in your kitchen already. Think about what role the ingredient plays in the recipe (sweet, sour, salty, acidic, etc), and what could work in its place. Want to make an adjustment to fit the taste buds of your family better? Do it! As long as a basic understanding of how ingredients work together is paired with a basic understanding of how to manage heat and temperature control, the results are deliciously unending!

Make one of these recipes at home? Take a picture and share it on social media! Tag @FlourchildstuffLLC or use #flourchildstuffllc, show us the flours you have blooming in your kitchen!

*A big thank you to Chef Bucci for teaching these recipes, methods, and techniques at JJC. I truly learned that a proper foundation of fundamentals of cooking can take you anywhere you want to go.

*Also a big thank you to my family that have been making pierogi forever, carrying those traditions and memories through every holiday and gathering. This is where the magic of food really is, if you ask me.