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It only makes sense that a site called, You Bet Your Pierogi has a recipe for Pierogi, right? For those of you who are not of Eastern European descent or have not had the pleasure of knowing what pierogi are, read my post about them here.  You can for sure buy them in the frozen section of the grocery stores, but I like to make my own from scratch the way my ancestors did before mass food production and industrialized farming. Once you see how simple it is, you can totally do the same. PLUS, isn’t it better to make something that you know exactly what is going in it and not worry about preservatives and artificial flavorings? The dough is only THREE ingredients: water,egg & flour. 

  1. img_31472Whisk 1 egg with 1 cup of lukewarm water. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt, if desired.
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    2. Gradually add in flour, (about 1 cup) just keep mixing until a dough starts to form.img_31532img_315623. Use your hands to knead the dough and take it out on a wooden board dusted with flour.
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    4. You can cut the dough in half and work with half at a time, depending how much room you have. Roll out the dough so it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin that it will break; about 1mm.  Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or I just use a regular cup. The size is up to you, just keep it consistent for even cooking times.img_31642There are as many toppings as there are flavors.  You can use pretty much any type of vegetable, cheese, meat, or grain combination for pierogi stuffing.  In the United States, the most popular pierogi are the potato & cheddar cheese flavor.  However, the more traditional form of potato cheese pierogi in Poland is made with potato & farmer’s cheese (fresh white curd cheese that uses just milk and cultures.  During processing, the whey is drained off so you get a healthier cheese with low lactose levels). When mixed with potato and onions and stuffed into a pierogi shell, you get Ruskie pierogi. However, probably the most popular pierogi in Poland is a variation of cabbage, sauerkraut, and mushroom pierogi (what I made) or a dessert pierogi typically filled with fresh seasonal fruit (blueberries, plums & apples are a few of my favorite sweet fillings). Serve the dessert ones with some sour cream mixed with sugar. Just try it!

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    5.  Add about a teaspoon of filling to the center of each circle. Cover the filling and pinch the edges firmly together to seal. (Keep flouring your hands.) Pinch really well and firmly, even if you have to do it several times; you don’t want the filling to spill out when cooking.
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    6. Place in salted boiling water. Don’t overcrowd the pierogi – allow moving room. When they float to the surface, let them boil for approximately 1-2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to remove them. You can put them in a bowl just make sure you put melted butter over them or they will stick together! You can also put them on trays lined with wax paper.

    img_31782img_317927. Saute some butter and drizzle over them or I had some leftover gravy from Thanksgiving, so I put that on. We also do this if we make pierogi with leftover turkey meat. SO GOOD. What filling is your favorite? Please share! and Thanks for reading. XO, K
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    img_31802original post 12/01/16

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