Winnipeg Perogies Recipes

WINNIPEG PEROGIES

Steps:

• Mix all the dough ingredients together in a large bowl. Knead it thoroughly. Let it rest covered in fridge overnight. It gets smooth after sitting for a long time. Very nice to work with.
• * Note* I've had perogies that are made with just potatoes, just meat, no cheese, only onion, some with just jam. It's up to you what you put in yours this is what I like in mine.
• After you've let the dough rest, peel all your potatoes, while those are on the stove, fry up the bacon and onions. I like to rough chop the onions, and cook the bacon whole, then throw it all in the food processor for a quick whirl.
• Shred all that cheese. It's time consuming, my step mom has a huge industrial grater for this, but I have to do it by hand. That's the only reason I have kids. That and dishes. Anyhow.
• Once you've cooked the potatoes to a soft stage, drain and rinse them thoroughly, I like to put them through the ricer before I salt, milk, butter and mash them, but however you make your potatoes is your deal.
• A. THE "PRETTY" WAY --
• Separate the dough into workable portions, and roll each portion as thin as you can without ripping the dough. Not paper thin, more like a 1/8 inch.
• I have a pasta roller, so I use this for uniformity sake.
• Use a 2-3 inch circular cookie cutter to cut out as many doughs as you can.
• Put a spoon sized amount of filling into the center of each circle, and dampen one edge with a smidge of water. Press to seal.
• B. THE "RIGHT" WAY --
• Take a small ball of dough in one hand, and smash it as flat as you can, stretching and pulling to get it large enough for a spoonful of filling.
• Dampen an edge and press to seal.
• Either way you do it, they'll taste awesome.
• Remember though that you have to boil the "raw" perogies before you eat them, or fry them or freeze them.
• To do this, simply make a HUGE pot of boiling water, dump a goodly amount of oil into it, drop in a handful of perogies (not too many as they will stick together and get yucky). When they float, take them out and either
• a) eat them, adding more toppings.
• b) throw them into a hot frying pan, cook them add more bacon, onions and sour cream and enjoy.
• or.
• c) toss them in a coating of oil, wait for them to cool and freeze them in a single layer on cookie sheet, when they have frozen you may put them into a freezer bag and store.

HELEN'S PEROGIES

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes until well done, drain and mash with butter. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the onions and bacon together. Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture for spooning over the cooked perogies. Add the remaining bacon and onions to the potatoes. Stir the cheese into the potato mixture. Mix well. Chill until very cold. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Pour water and oil into the well. Mix together. Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time until dough is firm. Knead dough until mixture does not stick to hands. Cover tightly and let stand for 1/2 hour in a warm place. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut in 2-inch diameter circles. Add 1 teaspoon filling, fold over 1 half of circle and press the edges together to seal. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon oil, then add perogies. Stir occasionally to perogies won't stick to the bottom. When perogies rise to the top, add 1 cup cold water to stop the cooking. Remove the perogies with a slotted spoon. Perogies will cook in 3 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with reserved onion-bacon mixture.

COTTAGE CHEESE PEROGIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, egg yolks, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and baking powder. Pour in the vegetable oil and cold water, and mix or knead into a smooth dough.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, and cut into 3 inch circles using a glass, can, or cookie cutter. Place a spoonful of the cottage cheese filling onto each circle. Fold in half, and pinch the edges together to seal.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Carefully drop the perogies into the water, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they float. Remove from water with a slotted spoon, and place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess water.