Blueberry Pierogi Recipes

BLUEBERRY PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Bring a pasta pot filled with water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, place the flour on a clean work surface. Create a well in the center and add the egg, oil and salt to the well. Using a fork, beat the wet ingredients together. Pour about 1/2 cup of the warm water into the egg mixture. Using the fork, slowly begin incorporating some of the flour into the wet ingredients. Add 1/4 cup more of the warm water. As the dough begins to come together, use a bench scraper to start incorporating more flour. A shaggy dough will begin to form. Add 1/4 cup more of the warm water and continue to mix the dough. At this point, depending on the temperature and humidity, you may need to add more water; you are looking for a smooth dough that's not too sticky. If you added too much water, sprinkle some more flour over the dough and continue kneading until smooth. Once the dough is formed, knead it until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let rest 5 minutes.
• Fill a small bowl with water. Roll the dough out until it is thin enough to see your fingers through it, about 1/16 inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Place 3 to 5 blueberries on one half of each round. Dab a finger in the water and wet the edges of the dough, then fold the dough over and press the edges to seal each into a half-moon. Repeat with all the rounds.
• Working in batches, drop the pierogis into the boiling water. Cook until they float, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the pierogis with a slotted spoon to a baking sheet or platter and sprinkle with the sugar while they are still warm.
• Meanwhile, for the sweet dipping sauce: Whisk together the sour cream, sugar, vanilla paste and salt in a medium bowl. Serve the warm pierogis with the sauce.

BLUEBERRY PIEROGI

Steps:

• Place flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Crack eggs into the well, add butter, and pour in a little of the warm water. Start mixing together, adding a bit more water if needed. Knead well, continuing to add more water as needed. Continue kneading until dough is soft and smooth, adding a little more flour only if needed.
• Dust a work surface with flour. Cut off 1/4 of the dough and roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out circles using a glass or a round pastry cutter.
• Fill each dough circle with 1 teaspoon of blueberries and a sprinkle of sugar. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape and seal edges. Set aside on a tea towel and repeat with remaining dough, blueberries, and sugar.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the pierogi in batches and cook until they float to the surface, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes once they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain.

BASIC PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk together egg and sour cream. Whisk in milk and water. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface. (Dough will be loose and sticky.) Using a bench scraper, turn and fold dough to knead, dusting with flour as needed, until elastic and no longer sticky, 8 to 10 minutes. (Dough will come together as you knead it. Be careful not to add too much flour, since it will toughen the dough.) Cover with an inverted bowl; let rest for 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean linen towel, and dust generouslywith cornmeal to prevent sticking.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8-inch-thick round (keep other pieces covered).
• Cut out circles very close together, using a 3-inch cutter or glass (5 inches for the plum version). Cover with plasticwrap to prevent dough from drying. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Fill pierogi: Place filling in center of each dough circle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Holding 1 circle in your hand, fold dough over filling. Pinch edges, forming a well-sealed crescent.
• Transfer to cornmeal-dusted towel, and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough circles and filling. Working in batches, transfer pierogi to boiling water. They will sink to the bottom and then rise. Once they have risen, cook through, about 2 minutes more (or up to 4 minutes for plum pierogi, depending on ripeness). For savory pierogi, coat a platter with half the butter. Transfer pierogi to platter using a slotted spoon. Drizzle tops with remaining butter, and season with salt. For sweet pierogi, transfer to a platter using a slotted spoon, and dot with sour cream.

PIEROGI WITH BLUEBERRY FILLING AND SPICED SOUR CREAM

Steps:

• Make filling:Crush 2 cups blueberries with your hands. Toss with remaining 6 cups whole blueberries and the sugar. For each pierogi, use 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons filling.
• Make Spiced Sour Cream:Mix together sour cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Serve chilled. Makes 1 cup

UKRAINIAN BLUEBERRY VARENYKY W. BLUEBERRY SAUCE (PEROGY/PIEROGI)

Steps:

• FOR THE SAUCE: In saucepan, stir together blueberries, sugar and flour; add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Simmer over low heat until blueberries are soft and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• FOR THE DOUGH: In large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. In separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk and butter; stir into flour mixture. Add cold water, 1 tablespoons at a time (6 to 7 tablespoons total), until soft dough is formed. Knead until dough is smooth. Cover with plastic and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll dough to scant 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 3 inch rounds.
• FILLING: Whisk together sugar and flour; set aside. Stretch out cut out dough rounds slightly and fill each round with scant 1 teaspoons flour/ sugar mixture and 1 tablespoons blueberries. Pull dough over filling; pinch edges together to seal.
• Continue until dough and filling are used up, letting reworked scraps rest slightly before rolling (keep unrolled dough and filled dumplings covered with a clean tea towel).
• In large pot of lightly salted boiled water, boil dumpling, in batches if necessary, until dough is tender at thickest edges, about 10 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to serving plate; drizzle with butter to prevent sticking. Serve with blueberry sauce and sour cream on the side. Makes 32 to 36 dumplings.
• FOOD TIP: any leftover dough can be rolled into noodles, boiled and served with butter or sour cream.