Homemade Pierogi Recipe

Yesterday, Andy and I got really ambitious and made homemade pierogi! I wish I could say that this is a family recipe but my grandma never makes pierogi from scratch, although her mother, who was Lithuanian, did. 

Up near Andy's, pierogi are served, baked as a side dish. I was astonished the first time we went to the Allentown Zoo and there were containers of pierogi lines up next to the containers of fries at the concession stand there.   

Pierogi Recipe

Mix eggs and sour cream.

Dough:

- 3 cups flour (1 cup whole wheat if preferred)

- 1/4 teaspoon Salt

- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder

- 3 Eggs

-  8 ounces Sour Cream (1 small container)

Filling:

Clean, peel, boil and mash potatoes.

- 2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed

- 3 Tablespoons Butter

- ½ cup chopped onion (you can use frozen onion)

- Salt and White Pepper to taste

- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

- Extra Butter and Onions needed for frying

   

**For an even quicker meal, you can make these using pre-made wonton wrappers. Alternatively you can make the filling a day in advance.**  

Add Flour, salt and baking powder.

Instructions:

Make into pierogi.

Wash, peel, chop and boil the potatoes until soft. Mash the potatoes in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside the potatoes. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat, add the onions and cook until see-through. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and let cool.  

Mix the sour cream and eggs together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sift together the baking powder, salt and baking powder. Mix flour mixture into egg mixture until it forms a nonsticky dough.  Roll out to 1/8” thick on a lightly floured surface.  Cut dough using a round 3 inch cutter.

Fry in butter and onions.

Pick up a dough cut out and stretch it a little bit in each direction with your fingers. Place dough round on a plate and add a spoonful of filling to the middle of the dough. Wet your finger and moisten the circumference of the dough round. Fold the round over and press the sides together. Press down the edges with a fork. Boil the assembled pierogi in water for about five minutes, remove to a colander. Be sure to only put in a few to avoid sticking. Once finished boiling, add 2 tablespoons of butter fry some onions and fry the pirogi until lightly browned. 

Lithuanian pierogis contain meat and the oldest recipes don’t contain sour cream. Below is a recipe from The Settlement Cookbook written in 1901 which includes meat. “The Settlement” was a social settlement in Milwaukee that offered vocational instruction and education in an attempt to help immigrant girls assimilate into American society. The recipes are from the 1921 edition of the book.  

These were surprisingly delicious! We thought they might taste differently as we used whole wheat flour but they still tasted good. If you won't be eating them right away, stop after boiling and fry shortly before serving. These can also be frozen after boiling if brushed with butter to prevent sticking. Hope you enjoy!