December 22, 2023

Grandma's Pierogis Revisited

Last year, I shared with you my recipe and process for making my Grandma's pierogies, something she made with love and care every Christmas Eve.

I remember that in the Polish Catholic tradition, we always had fish, pierogies, some sort of cabbage dish, a million kinds of cookies, and of course the communion wafer printed with a Christmas image that we'd pass around the table, each of us breaking off a piece and mindfully thanking God for family and health (or toys, in the kids' minds).

I'm planning on making them again on Thursday, but wanted to revisit last year's post, where I made them for the very first time. 

I dug out her recipe, which she wrote down for me before she died.  I really should frame it, or at least make photocopies for my cousins to have.
I'm always amazed at how beautiful her handwriting was, and how much pride she took in it. I guess that was typical of women of her generation, as Chris' great aunt is the same way.  A lost art...

But I digress.  I made pierogies once or twice with her, and she was always very particular about getting the dough thin enough.  Mine of course were quite thick, but her dough was so thin that it was nearly translucent.  While my brothers and I preferred the potato/cheddar-filled pierogies, she often made versions with prunes, farmer's cheese, and cabbage inside.

So now that I've fogged up the kitchen windows with steam from the boiling pot of water, I'll sit down and share the recipe with you.  The first part is her recipe, while the second are my steps and photos for making it.

Pierogi with Sour Cream Dough
Dough
~~6 cups flour
~~3 eggs
~~3/4 cup water
~~1 pint sour cream
~~1/2 tsp. salt~~

Potato Filling

~~4lbs. cooked potatoes mashed with butter
~~1/2 lb. American or sharp cheddar cheese
 

For Serving
~~2 onions sauteed in butter

Equipment
~~rolling pin
~~large bowl
~~juice glass or round cookie cutter
~~pot of boiling water
~~slotted spoon

Get your helper, and clear a work surface.
Make your mashed potatoes, using peeled potatoes, butter and either the cheddar or American cheese.
I like to run my mash through a hand mixer to get a smooth consistency.
Set aside your potatoes, and make your dough.  Before you make it, get out a big pot, fill it with water and a tablespoon of oil, and start boiling the water for cooking the pierogies.
Mix eggs, sour cream, water and salt thoroughly.Add in the flour, 1 cup at a time.
I had to knead mine on the counter to incorporate all of the flour.
Let dough rest for 5 minutes.  Roll out thinly, flouring the surface lightly to prevent sticking.
Using your juice glass or circular cookie cutter, cut circles out of the dough.
Alternatively, you could cut squares if you don't want circles.  Then fill them with a teaspoon of the mashed potatoes
Fold over the dough and press it together along the edges, making sure there are no holes for the filling to leak out.
Once you have them made, take them over to the pot of boiling water and drop in about 10 of them.  They're ready when they float to the surface
Pull them out with a slotted spoon, and lay them on a plate or in a baking dish to cool.
When you've made them all, saute 2 onions in butter (I used 1 stick, but you could use more or less) and toss the pierogies in it.
If you want, you could also serve them with sour cream.  Not necessarily health food, but tis the season.
I miss my grandma, and I'm glad to carry on her Christmas tradition.  Biting into these delicious carb-laden pierogies is certainly bittersweet.

9 comments:

  1. So fun! It brings back memories of my Babcia! She made the best perogis . . . I have tried to replicate them, but have not gotten close to hers. I have the have difficulty getting the dough thin too!

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  2. Giggling at carb-laden. ;) 'Tis the season for sweaters, right?? :) They look delicious. I'll have to bookmark this one to make some time.

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  3. I remember this post from last year and I still haven't made these yet. Maybe this year...

    I miss my Gramma too - Grammas are so awesome.

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  4. I think it's so special that you make them with your sweet son...isn't it an amazing feeling to pass a cherished tradition on? :)

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  5. Thanks so much for sharing this! My grandma always made pierogies, too. Besides mashed potatoes, she made some stuffed with sauerkraut! She also made delicious stuffed cabbage. She called them something that sounds like "galumpkies," but I don't know how to spell it.

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  6. Thanks so much for posting your recipe, I've been wanting to make them for awhile now!
    Just last month I finally made Kolackys and they came out sooo good! My hubby will think he's in heaven will all of these yummy goodies :)

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  7. Love this post! We always celebrated Wiligia too. My favorite pierogis are the cabbage ones. My Babci used to make potato & cheddar, potato & farmer's cheese, blueberry, and prune as well. Plus her amazing cabbage soup. So nice when I come across someone else whose family did the big Polish Christmas Eve too!

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  8. Thank you for sharing your recipe and memories. I can't wait to try them. I have a lot of memories of my grandmother making taralli, orecchiette and lots of Italian goodies I now make with my kids.

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  9. I made her recipe this year, and my Polish-descent husband loved them. But, my, they are a lot of work!

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