Directions: |
Directions:Boil & mash potatoes. Add to the potatoes onions with the butter onions were fried in, grated cheese(and the optional bacon). Mix well. Potatoes should be firm enough to make a small ball and take on a yellowish color from the cheese. Add more boiled mashed potatoes if filling is too soft. This is important as filling will run out of dough if not firm enough.
Dough- Measure flour in large mixing bowl, add salt, oil and water. Mix well and kneed with your hands until dough is soft but somewhat firm. Cover with cloth, saran wrap or inverted mixing bowl and let it rest for 1/2 hour. Divide dough in half. One half for rolling and the other(still covered) for later. Roll out on floured dusted surface. Try to role dough as thin as possible and use round cookie cutter or inverted glass 2 3/4 inches in diameter. Baba uses an empty washed small soup can (280ml) to make the rounds. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of each round and bring one end over the potato filling so as to meet on the other side of round. Dough can be stretched a bit so as to accommodate the lump of potato but don't let potato touch edge of round. Pinch, Pinch, Pinch together making sure that the touching edges are sealed. Lay on tea towel and cover with other tea towel while you continue to make the rest of the rounds. Boiling or Freezing Raw - Perogies can be frozen raw (not boiled) by placing them individually on a greased cookie sheet and put in the freezer. Once frozen transfer to a freezer bag(these do not travel well if they unfreeze even a bit as you will end up with one BIG perogie. Baba recommends par-boiling before freezing. Par-Boiling- A 3 quart round roasting pan works best for boiling. Fill roaster half full with water, add 3tsps salt and bring to boil. Turn to med heat with water on slower boil and add ten perogies or so to slow boil water. Stir and wait for perogies to float to top of water. Remove with spoon and transfer to bowl of cold water for a few seconds. Remove and put in bowl. Immediately cover with melted butter and swish to insure all are coated. Eat now with sour cream or freeze following the same freezing instructions as for raw perogies. |