Ukrainian Perogies, For Beginners

Total Time: 32 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup milk, warm
• 1/2 cup potato, well mashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 -3 cooked potatoes, mashed
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 -3 cups cottage cheese, drained (or use dry curd)
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper (taste before adding egg!)

Recipe

• 1 dough--------------.
• 2 mix dough ingredients together.
• 3 you may have to add more liquid or flour to make the dough soft and somewhat sticky.
• 4 turn onto a floured surface and knead more flour into dough- just enough to make it easier to handle.
• 5 the dough will be slightly sticky.
• 6 do not over-knead.
• 7 place dough in an oiled bowl.
• 8 cover and let rest for 30 minuets.
• 9 filling-----------.
• 10 cook onion in butter.
• 11 mix with potatoes, and add cheese while the mixture is still hot.
• 12 you may substitute cheez whiz for the cheddar.
• 13 let filling cool before using (place in fridge.) if you are using the alternate filling, simply mix those ingredients together.
• 14 manufacturing--------.
• 15 set a large pot of water to boil.
• 16 form walnut-sized balls of the filling.
• 17 roll out dough on floured surface fairly thinly (3 millimeters, or 0.125 inch).
• 18 you will probably need to add flour as you roll.
• 19 cut out circles approximately 7 1/2 centimeters (3 inches) in diameter (a wider-mouthed glass should do fine.) press scraps into a ball.
• 20 place filling ball in center of dough circle.
• 21 if the dough has a less-floury side, keep that side up.
• 22 fold dough over ball, and pinch edges to form a half circle.
• 23 to prevent perogies with"horns", i pinch at the top ("90 degree mark") of the perogy first, then pinch at the 180 and degree edges, working up to the 90 degree mark.
• 24 you can cheat pinching the perogies by smearing water on the filling side of the dough at the edges, and keep your fingers floured when you pinch (on the non-filling side.) in order to prevent perogies from drying out, keep finished perogies on a floured surface, and cover with a floured clean dishcloth.
• 25 place several perogies in boiling water.
• 26 stir once, gently with a slotted spoon.
• 27 perogies are done when they float for a minute (this will take 2-3 minutes).
• 28 melt about 1/2 cup of butter or margarine in microwave.
• 29 rescue and drain the perogies with the slotted spoon.
• 30 place in a bowl, drizzle with some melted butter, and gently shake to distribute the butter.
• 31 cook, drain, and drizzle the other perogies in the same manner.
• 32 *platzkies (pronounced "plutch-keys"): (the scrap dough is not tender enough to make into perogies, but make good"dumplings" by themselves.) roll out scraps to approxamitely the same thickness as before.
• 33 add minimal flour, and handle dough as little as possible.
• 34 try to keep edges even.
• 35 cut dough with a knife into strips about 8 cm (3 inches) wide.
• 36 cut each strip into several triangles and/or squares.
• 37 cook strips in water until they float.
• 38 repeat draining and drizzling treatment as with perogies.