As it turns out, whoever had written that recipe must have not lived in a humid climate because the first batch of dough I made was incredibly sticky. I added more flour...and more flour...and more flour. That batch of pierogies was a flop - and about half of the dough ended up in the garbage - but I decided to try again today and this batch came out much better.
I didn't take any pictures of the dough-making process because, let's face it, it's just dough. You throw a bunch of white, powdery stuff in a bowl with a bunch of sticky stuff and mix it up. And I didn't feel like dealing with my camera and dough at the same time.
Okay, it may have been more of that last part than anything else.
Pierogies
Makes around 30 pierogies
For the dough:
1/2 cup cold mashed potatoes
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour (or more if necessary; I probably used around 3 to 3 1/2 cups in total)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup water
For the filling:
1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind will do, but I recommend using cheddar. I used two different types the first time I made these and I liked the ones with cheddar a lot more.)
1 egg white
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
garlic salt
onion powder (you can also use chopped sauteed onions and/or green onions but I was far too lazy to actually go to the trouble of doing that either time. Maybe next time. :) )
What you do:
Combine the mashed potatoes, egg yolks, and shortening in one bowl (I use a big bowl for this so I can use it as the main bowl). Mix and set aside. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Slowly add the flour mixture and water (alternating) to the bowl with the potatoes, egg yolks, and shortening. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Important!!!! Be sure to check the dough before you chill it! The first time I made these, I stuck the dough in the fridge before I tested it. Big mistake. I took the dough out only to find that it had hardened the way it was supposed to but was far too sticky to even consider rolling. Make sure that your dough has a "workable" texture (not too sticky to roll without trouble) before you refrigerate it.
While the dough chills, make the filling. The second time I made pierogies, I ended up having to quadruple the amount of filling I made, but this may have to do with how much I put into the pierogies. Mix the egg white, mashed potatoes, and shredded cheese in a bowl. Add whatever seasoning you want. My Polish friends would probably add sauerkraut and onions as well; really, you can add whatever you want to the filling. I keep it simple with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder.
After the dough has chilled and you have made the filling, roll the dough out. I roll it to around 1/8 inch thick, but a slight difference won't have any effect on the way the pierogies taste. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the dough into little circles. The one I use is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter, but again, a variation here isn't going to change the way the pierogies taste. Put a little filling into each circle - I use around a teaspoon - and fold the circle in half, sealing it at the edges.
Toss them in boiling water and take them out when they float to the top. This took around five minutes. However, I don't think you can boil them for too long and ruin them. At least, if you can, I haven't done it yet...and that's saying something.
You can serve them just like that with butter - or any other toppings you want - or you can throw them into a frying pan with some oil and/or butter (I use both) and crisp them up. And there ya go - pierogies!
I know people eat these with sour cream and chopped green onions or topped with sauerkraut, but I'm a purist and eat them plain. You do your thing.
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