Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup hot water

Mound the flour on a breadboard and make a well in the center. Drop the egg yolks, salt, and sour cream into the well.

Working from the center to the outside of the flour mound, mix the flour into the egg and sour cream in the center with one hand, while keeping the flour mounded with your other hand until all of it is blended. Slowly add the water, a little at a time.

Knead the dough until firm and well mixed. Cover the dough with a warm bowl, and let it rest 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into halves. Keep one half under the bowl. On a floured surface, roll the other half of the dough until thin (not too thin, so it won’t break while filling).

Cut out 3-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter.

The rounds can be filled using either of two methods:

1. Place a small spoonful of filling to one side on the circle of dough. Moisten the edge with water. Fold the dough over and press the edges together firmly (some like to use a fork) so they won’t break open while cooking.

2. This method permits a greater amount of filling: Stretch the dough circle slightly by hand, then form a “C” with the index finger and thumb of your free hand and set the dough circle on top of that. Using a spoon with the other hand, add the filling into the center depression, making sure to keep the edges clean and dry. Then tuck in two opposing points on the circle to form corners, and fold the two halves together, pinching the edges tightly.

from her Baba’s kitchen, and Backseat Gourmet

Ingredients
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
2 cups recently boiled water (very hot)

In a large bowl mix together the flour and salt.

Combine the oil and the egg, beat together lightly. Stir in to the flour and salt. It will not combine well, but keep stirring and working at it until you have a coarse meal, like biscuit dough would be before you added the liquid.

Pour your hot water in to the flour and egg mixture, all at once. Immediately start stirring. It won’t look like it is coming together, but keep stirring it. Don’t beat the crap out of it, but stir for a minute or two and it will come together into a somewhat lumpy, ugly dough.

Cover with a damp tea towel or loosely cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 15 minutes, if not 30.

Link to original article

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.

Inspired by Ingredients: Market Menus and Family Favorites from a Three-Star Chef

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 large eggs

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. In a small bowl, beat eggs together with 2 tablespoons water. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour eggs into well. Incorporate eggs by stirring in the flour mixture from sides of well a little at a time.

2. When the dough begins to come together, transfer to a clean flat surface and knead until dough comes together in a smooth ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand at least 1 hour at room temperature or up to 1 day, refrigerated.

Makes 14

Entertaining by Martha Stewart

Ingredients
For the filling
10 pounds green cabbage, trimmed and cored
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the dough
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sour cream
4 1/2 to 5 cups flour

1. Cut the cabbages into quarters. Steam until very tender, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and cool. In a strong but thin linen towel, squeeze as much of the liquid from the steamed cabbage as possible. Squeeze only a small handful at a time. Discard the juice.

2. Grind the squeezed cabbage with the fine blade of a meat grinder. Add the cream cheese and softened butter and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. To make the dough, whisk the egg, milk, water, and sour cream together. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after every addition. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. This may take 10 minutes. Add as little flour as possible. Put ball of dough under an inverted bowl until ready to use.

4. To make the pierogi, cut the dough into 4 pieces. On a floured board, roll one piece of dough into a round, 1/16 inch thick. Keep rest of dough covered. With a cookie cutter or glass tumbler (2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter), cut the dough into rounds. For each pierogi, take 1 round of dough, stretch it a bit with your fingers, and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cabbage onto the center.

5. Fold the circle in half and press the edges together. Martha crimps the edges with her fingertips into a decorative pattern. Be sure to seal the edges well or the filling may fall out during cooking. Put finished dumplings on a towel or tray that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Continue rolling dough until all the filling has been used up.

6. Bring a very large kettle of water to the boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water and cook about 20 pierogi at one time in simmering water until they are tender and float (about 5 to 6 minutes). Remove to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and dribble with butter. Leftover pierogi can be reheated in the oven, or on top of the stove in a heavy skillet.

Makes approximately 8 dozen dumplings

These delicious crescent-shaped pierogi can be stuffed with a variety of fillings, such as potato and cheese, spiced meat, or mushrooms. Martha’s mother, Martha Kostyra, makes hers with a delicious green-cabbage filling. After preparing the dough, filling it with the cabbage mixture, and sealing each pierogi, she cooks them in boiling water; the pierogi bob to the surface when they’re done.

Traditionally served as a meatless dish during Lent, pierogi have evolved into a popular side dish. Use green cabbage to make these dumplings; it contains less water than other varieties.

Ingredients
10 pounds green cabbage, trimmed and cored
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup milk
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. To make cabbage filling, cut the cabbage into quarters. Steam until very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes; drain and cool. Working in small batches, wrap cooled cabbage in a towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

2. Chop squeezed cabbage finely in a food processor, or grind it in a meat grinder. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and salt and pepper to taste; mix until combined. (The filling can be made one day ahead if it’s kept tightly covered and refrigerated.)

3. In a medium bowl, whisk egg. Add sour cream, and whisk until smooth. Add milk and 1 cup water, and whisk until combined. Slowly add about 3 cups flour, and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.

4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and work in about 1 cup flour as you knead. Use a plastic scraper to lift the dough, which will stick to the counter before flour is worked into it. Continue kneading for about 8 to 10 minutes, working in another 1/2 cup flour. The dough should be elastic in texture and no longer sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, as this will toughen dough. Place dough in a lightly floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest.

5. On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a glass or cookie cutter measuring 2 1/2 inch diameter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather scraps together, reroll, and continue cutting.

6. Form filling into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place a ball in the center of each dough circle. Holding a circle in your hand, fold dough over filling and pinch the edges, forming a well-sealed crescent. Transfer to linen towel sprinkled with cornmeal. Continue this process until all dough circles are filled.

7. Place pierogi in the boiling water in batches. They will sink to the bottom of the pot and then rise to the top. Once they rise, let them cook for about 1 more minute. Meanwhile, drizzle platter with remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter. Remove pierogi from pot and transfer to platter to prevent sticking. Serve immediately.

Makes about 60

Ingredients
13 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup salt
4 eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups cold water
8 ounces sour cream or cream cheese
Desired filling (mashed potato and cheddar cheese; mashed potato, mushroom and Swiss cheese; sauerkraut ? make sure that filling is not too watery)
3 tablespoons butter
Sauteed onions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Chives, for garnish

Combine flour and salt in an electric mixer for 30 seconds. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, and 3 cups of water. Put electric mixer on a slow speed and add sour cream and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix for about 2 1/2 minutes. At this point check the dough and make sure it is creamy and pliable, if it is too sticky, add a bit of flour, if it is not pliable add more water. When dough reaches desired texture, remove from the mixer and let rest on a floured table, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, begin working the dough with a floured rolling pin. Roll dough out to a rectangular shape that is 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick. Cut this into quarters. Take 1 sheet and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. If dough begins to stick, sprinkle it with a bit of flour. Using a 2 to 3-inch cookie cutter, cut dough into circles.

Once circles are cut, roll the circles to 1/8-inch. Place 1 tablespoon of the desired filling in the center of each circle. Lightly wet 1/2 of the edge of the circle with water, fold over and crimp together.

Gently place pierogi into hot salted water that is just under boiling point, about 190 degrees F, and cook for 3 minutes or until pierogi float. Drain.

Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add pierogis and cook until golden brown. Serve with Sauteed onions, a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives.

Ingredients
For the pierogi dough:
1 pint sour cream
5 cups flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

For the filling:
1/2 pound ground beef
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound soft farmers cheese
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 whole egg

To finish:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup sour cream

For the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, flour, butter, 2 whole eggs, egg yolk, 2 teaspoons salt and olive oil. Knead the mixture into a soft dough. Divide the dough in half and cover for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll each half of the dough into a thin circle, 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough using a 3-inch circle cutter. For the filling: Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, render the ground beef for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper-lined plate. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, ground beef, shallots, garlic, green onion and egg. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle of dough and fold over. Press and seal into half-moon shapes. Use a little water to seal the pierogi’s. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pierogi for 8 minutes, or until they float. Remove from the water and drain. In a saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Sear the pierogi for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan. The pierogi will need to be sauteed in batches. Arrange the pierogi’s on a platter. Garnish with parsley and serve with sour cream.

Lives Our Parish Bread Cook Book - Saint Hugh’s Church - Joan Beyer

Ingredients
Filling
12 oz of 1 lb cottage cheese (pot style)
1 egg
1/8 tsp salt.
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp grated onion

Mix all ingredients well and fill your dough.

Dough
2 cups sifted flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Beat the egg with a little water. Add beaten egg to dry ingredients including rest of the water. Mix ingredients and knead into soft pliable dough. Cut 1/4 of the dough off and roll thin on floured board. Place a tsp of the filling on the dough all in a row or until you have 3 spoons across. Then fold over and cut with a small glass. Pinch the edges down with the end of a spoon. Boil carefully in salted water for about 5 minutes or until they rise to the top. Fry in butter and serve with sour cream.

Lives Our Parish Bread Cook Book - Saint Hugh’s Church - Joan Beyer

Ingredients
4 lbs cottage cheese
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
9 cups sifted flour
3 cups milk
5 eggs (dough)
3 eggs (filling)
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated scallions
9 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter

Mix cottage cheese, eggs, 2 tsp salt, pepper, sugar, and scallions together.
Heat milk with butter until butter melts. cool. Beat eggs slightly. Mix eggs and milk in large bowl. Add sifted flour, one cup at a time, and mix with wooden spoon. A dough hook may also be used. Mix dough until it comes away from the bowl. It should be soft and pliable. If dough is still a little sticky after 9 cups of flour, add more flour, one cup at a time. Cut 1/4 of the dough off, and roll out thin on floured board. Place 1 TB of the filling on the dough, all in a row until you have at least 4 spoons across. Then fold over and cut with biscuit cutter or small glass. Pinch the edges down with fingers or end of a spoon. Drop Pierogi into salted boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes or until they rise to the top. Lift out of water carefully with perforated spoon.

Fry on butter and serve with sour cream.