So not good for the waistline but worth every bite!
Happy New Year my friends! May 2015 be happy and healthy for you and that your life is full of adventure and good food.
I look back on the past year and remember how grateful that I am with the out of the world friendships, a loving family, amazing experiences, my dogs, great travel near and far, seeing old friends and meeting new! I am so lucky! I can only hope that 2015 is just as awesome as 2014!
On New Year’s eve I met some friends for dinner at this awesome Polish restaurant downtown. They have been talking about this place for months so we decided on an early dinner before the nights festivities! So glad that we did because it prompted the Pierogi party the ensued this weekend! It really was the perfect weekend to get together with friends to assemble all the pierogi! Lot’s of snow and cold temps! My friend Lisa shared her family recipe for pierogies which I adapted for my taste!
When you make pierogi it’s best to do it with friends! It’s time consuming and if you are going to take the time to do it then do it with friends! The pierogi freeze really well. Just skip the cooking part and place in ziplock bags with parchment paper in between so they don’t stick together! When you are ready to use, thaw them completely and follow the directions for cooking. My picture just shows one way to enjoy the pierogi. You can also just saute them in butter, eat with kielbasa or sauerkraut. You can even fry them and dip them in sour cream! I’m not sure about the last preparation but what the heck right? Have fun with this. It’s well worth it!
- [b][br]For the Dough[br][/b]
- 3 cups All-purpose white flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 salted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup + cold water
- [b][br]Cheese and Potato filling[br][/b]
- 1 large onion
- 2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (omit the nutmeg if making the cheddar/jalapeno version)
- 12 ounces ricotta cheese or sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 jalapeno peppers (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- [b][br]For the final sauce[br][/b]
- 1 stick butter
- 2 onions finely sliced
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp marjoram
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup white wine
- [b][br]Cheese and Potato filling[br][/b]
- Peel and boil potatoes in a large pot until cooked through and soft. Drain and either mash in the pan or put the potatoes through a “ricer”.
- In a food processor, puree the onion and jalapeno (optional).
- Add the onion, butter, milk, cream, nutmeg, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
- [b][br]To make the dough[br][/b]
- In a large stand mixer with a dough hook, add egg, salt, and flour. Turn on low speed and slowly add water until a smooth ball is formed and the dough pulls away from the hook. I used one cup plus 2 tablespoons consistently.
- [b][br]To make the perogies[br][/b]
- On a large floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch and cut out with a three inch cookie cutter or drinking glass. Remove the excess dough and roll out each piece until 1/8 of an inch for less doughy pierogi.
- Using a tablespoon place the filling in the center of the dough and moisten the edges with water. Fold the dough in half, making sure the edges can be closed.
- Crimp the edges with a fork to seal the pierogi.
- Use a little more flour to prevent the pierogies from sticking to each other.
- At this point you can place in a plastic bag for storage in the freezer.
- [b][br]To Cook the Pierogi[br][/b]
- Boil uncooked pierogi (in small batches of 5-6) in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook for approximately one minute or until they float. Remove and set aside in a baking dish. Repeat until all the pierogi are cooked that you want to use. At this point you can add a stick of butter to a large skillet and saute the pierogi are golden brown and serve. Or you can saute 2 thinly sliced onions with a stick of butter, paprika, marjoram, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the pierogi and the wine and cook for approximately five minutes until cooked through and serve.
The original recipe! I love that people share their family recipes!
A smooth ball of Pierogi dough. Ready to be rolled out!
All rolled out and cut up. Let the Pierogi party begin!
Baby it was cold outside! Perfect day for Pierogies and wine!
Rolled out thin and ready to folded over and crimped with a fork!
The Pierogies float when they are ready to come out of the pool… I get out of the pool when my fingers get wrinkly! Haha.
A batch of the finished pierogies! Cute little buggers huh?
“Polished” restaurant downtown at 15th and Lawrence. The meal that prompted the Pierogi party!
You can’t have a New Years eve without a couple of “Wodka” shots. This vodka was excellent. Kinda a really “grassy” taste, super smooth and best in a shot glass. LOL!
This was a fun gift and nice to be able to share with friends and a great way to start off the party. It was five o’clock somewhere!