Potato, Mushroom, Onion & Cheese Pierogies & ..........

DIRECTIONS

• Dough:
• Mix the 4 eggs, butter or margarine, sour cream and salt together in a bowl with whisk.
• Sift the flour onto a flat work surface and make a well in the center, pour the wet ingredients into the crater.
• Stir the mixture with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour into the well until a soft dough forms.
• Squeeze the dough with your hands, if it's sticky, add a bit of flour, if it's not pliable, add a couple of drops of water.
• Knead the dough, adding only as much additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking, until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Gather the dough into a ball and cover it with an inverted bowl or plastic wrap for 10 minutes or so to rest.
• Filling:
• Cook the potato cubes in boiling salted water until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain and then mash them with a ricer or regular "old" potato masher while they are still hot; set them aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the filling.
• Melt 3-4 tablespoons of butter or margarine in large skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add the onions, mushrooms and thyme, saute for a few minutes to soften the vegetables; season with salt and pepper.
• Continue to cook until the vegetables are broken dry and almost dry, then pour in cream & cheese; stir to incorporate.
• Remove the pan from the heat; take out sprigs of thyme, and scrape the mushroom & cheese mixture into the potatoes, mix well to incorporate the ingredients.
• Make sure the filling is not too hot or it will start to cook the dough, causing it to sog.
• Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter.
• Take 1/2 of the dough(leaving the rest covered so it doesn't dry out while you work) and roll it out into a thin circle, about 1/8" thick.
• Using a 3" round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut circles out of the dough.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2" border.
• Beat the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water to make an egg wash and brush it on the edges of the circle.
• Fold the dough over 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle and seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.
• Lightly tap the bottoms of the dumpling on the counter to make it flat.
• Repeat with the remaining half of dough and filling.
• You should make about 35 pierogies; put 1/2 of them in the freezer to keep on hand (they are better than the ones you find in the freezer section of the grocery store.).
• Coat a large saute pan (that has a tight fitting lid) with vegetable oil and place over medium heat.
• Lay the pierogies in the pan (you may have to do this in batches) and fry them for a couple of minutes until they start to crisp and brown on both sides.
• Pour in 1 cup of water and cover the pan to let the pierogies steam; when the water evaporates, the pierogies should be cooked and crisp.
• Arrange the pierogies on a platter, garnish with parsley and serve with roasted apples, sour cream, butter with caramelized onions, and/or any of the following:
• Roasted apples:
• 3 Gala apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped.
• 3 Golden Delicious, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped.
• 1 lemon juiced.
• 2 cinnamon sticks.
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or brown sugar "splenda".
• Pinch of salt.
• 2 Tablespoons butter.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Spread the apples out in a casserole pan and add the lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar or splenda, salt and butter.
• Bake until the apples are roasted and "NOT" mushy, about 20 minutes.
• Serve the apples with peirogies, either hot or chilled.
• Caramelized Onions & Sour Cream:
• 4-5 large onions, sliced thin.
• 3-4 tablespoons butter or margarine.
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar, to caramelize - no subs.
• Sour cream, to serve on the side.
• Melt butter in large saute pan and then add onions & sugar; saute for about 15 minutes or until onions are soft and a nice golden color.
• Serve onions with pierogies and sour cream, as little or all you want.
• "Maple" Cured Bacon & Melted Butter:
• 1/2 lb of "maple" cured bacon or turkey bacon.
• 4-5 tablespoons butter.
• Parsley, chopped fine - garnish.
• Saute bacon in frying pan or microwave oven.
• When crispy and drained; crumble into little pieces.
• Melt butter in a saucepan or in microwave oven, before it turns brown, remove and sprinkle with parsley.
• Sprinkle melted butter with parsley and bacon on hot pierogies.
• Melted Butter & Green Onions:
• 4-5 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 green onions, chopped fine (green & white parts).
• Melt butter in saucepan or microwave, remove before it browns.
• Sprinkle with green onions and spread it over the warm pierogies.
• Use any and all combinations with these.
• There are too many variations for me to list but I have listed a few that my family enjoys. Hope you do too!