Ingredients
2 cups fruit, such as pitted cherries, apples, blueberries, plums or peaches.
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or cardamom (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
2 to 4 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs

Combine the fruit of your choice, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boiling, then cook and stir until the fruit is tender and the water almost gone. Remove from heat.

Mash the fruit slightly with potato masher. Add cinnamon and or cardamom and lemon juice. Cook and stir over low heat, just until the mixture is thick.

Stir in enough breadcrumbs to make the filling very thick.

Ingredients
2 cups dried, pitted prunes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a saucepan on the stove, cover the prunes with water. Bring just to boiling, cover, remove from heat, and let stand 20 minutes. Drain the prunes, then add lemon juice and sugar, and cook until almost all of the liquid is gone.

Ingredients
2 large cans sauerkraut, rinsed and drained very well
1 large onion, minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, drained, and sliced thin
1 stick butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the minced onion in melted butter or margarine until transparent. Add drained, sliced mushrooms and sauté on medium heat (possibly medium high heat) to brown the onion and mushrooms and reduce the liquid. After browning, add the sauerkraut, mix well, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until flavors blend.

Ingredients
6 large potatoes
1 large onion, minced
1 pound can sauerkraut, rinsed lightly and drained
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel, quarter, and cook the potatoes in salted water, until tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, peel and mince the onion. Melt the butter or margarine, add the onion, and sauté until deep brown — not burnt but more than golden.

Rinse and squeeze the sauerkraut, getting out as much liquid as possible.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them well and mash until consistent in texture and not lumpy. Add the onion and butter mixture, the sauerkraut, and salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients
2 cups dry cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Beat the eggs. Add the sour cream and beat a little more. Add cheese, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.

Ingredients
1 large head of cabbage, thinly shredded and shaped into small pieces (large chunks can create a problem while filling and cooking)
1 large onion, minced
2 ribs of celery, minced
1 green pepper, minced
1/4 pound butter (1 stick) or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Steam the lightly salted cabbage in a covered pot slowly, so it does not burn. Use only a little water, about a tablespoon or two, adding a little more if needed. Cook until tender but still firm.

While the cabbage is cooking, melt the butter or margarine in a frying pan. Add onion, celery, and green pepper, and sauté until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper while cooking. Drain as much liquid from the cabbage as possible, mix in sautéed vegetables, and let cool.

Ingredients

Filling
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups potatoes, mashed
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup sharp cheddar

Dough
3 eggs
8 ounces sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese.

To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness.

Cut into 3 inch rounds. Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough.

You can now freeze your pierogi. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and freeze on it for about 20 minutes. Transfer to an air-tight container and layer with wax paper.

To cook pierogi (frozen or not) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. In a separate pan, melt about 1/2 stick of butter. Add about 1/2-1 cup of chopped onions and cook until translucent. Add boiled pierogi to pan and fry until golden brown on both sides.

From Everyday Food

Ingredients
1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 stick (4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
2 3/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 large egg
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped chives

In a small pot of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes until fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Mash with 2 tablespoons butter; let cool. Stir in the cheddar cheese and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour, add the egg and sour cream and stir into the flour. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a work surface and knead until a smooth, stiff dough forms. Cut the dough into quarters, wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the remaining 1 stick butter over medium heat until melted and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chives.

On a floured work surface, working with one-quarter of the dough at a time, roll out each piece into an 11-inch circle. Using a 4-inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Place a tablespoon of potato filling slightly off center on each circle. Moisten the edge, fold the dough over the filling and press the edges firmly to seal.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pierogi, about 9 at a time, for 5 to 7 minutes. Toss them in the brown butter before serving.

Makes 3 dozen.

Martha Stewart Living Magazine March 1995

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds assorted mushrooms, such as white, shiitake, or cremini
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots, (about 2 large)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley

1. Remove stems from shiitake mushrooms, and trim stems of white and cremini mushrooms. Place mushrooms in a food processor, and pulse about eight times, until finely chopped. Set aside.

2. In a medium saute pan, melt butter and oil over low heat; add shallots. Cook, covered, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is nearly dry, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and parsley, and cook about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl.

3. To form dumplings, place a heaping teaspoon of the filling toward the front of a circle of pierogi dough. Moisten the edges of the dough with water, and fold in half around filling to form a semicircle, firmly pinching the edges closed. Set aside on a lightly floured baking sheet. Continue to fill and form pierogi, keeping them covered with plastic wrap, until all the dough has been used.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add half the pierogi. Boil gently until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes, and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and repeat with remaining pierogi. Serve immediately.

Ingredients
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, sliced
Coarse salt, to taste
1/4 cup (1/2 ounce) freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
12 egg roll wrappers, cut into 4 1/2-inch rounds
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1. Simmer potatoes and garlic in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, and pass hot potatoes and garlic through a ricer or a food mill. Stir in cheese and 4 tablespoons butter, then the cream. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Place 1 heaping tablespoon potato mixture onto center of bottom half of each round. Brush edges with water. Fold top half over filling, and press to force out air and seal. Repeat.

3. Bring remaining tablespoon butter and the water to a simmer in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pierogi, cover, and steam for 4 minutes. Uncover, and brown until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Top with chives.