I was pleasantly shocked by you, dear readers, at the sheer number of emails/tweets I received from people trying my pickle soup.  And those of you that made my family bigos and even tried my infamous stuffed cabbage.  Your feedback warms my heart.  I'm trying hard to bring you fool-proof recipes that make Polish cuisine posh, one post at a time.

Today I bring to you the potato/cheese pierogi.  Think dumplings filled with awesome cheddar-mashed potatoes.  (You can even use your left over taters!) In Poland they are called "Ruskie Pierogi" which translates into "Russian Pierogi."  Why this filling for pierogis?   Well, many of you requested vegetarian options.

The ingredients:

Oil for frying.

6 to 8 Yukon Gold potatoes.

6 to 8 ounces of white shredded cheese. (In lieu of cheddar cheese people like to substitute 8 ounces of cottage cheese)

Flour.

3 eggs.

3 tablespoons of cream cheese.

3 teaspoons of milk.

2 tablespoon of butter.

Salt to taste.

Sauteed onions.

1.  Boil potatoes, cut in quarters, in salt water.

2.  Prepare the pierogi dough.

Follow closely, this is where it gets tough.  Prepare the dough by adding one egg, one tablespoon cream cheese, one teaspoon milk and 1/2 cup flour. Once all the flour has been worked in, add another 1/2 cup flour, one tablespoon cream cheese and one teaspoon milk. When the dough is well blended, add one egg, one tablespoon cream cheese and another 1/2 cup flour; mix well. Finally, add the remaining egg, one teaspoon milk and 1/2 cup flour.

If dough is too dry, add a little more milk; if too wet, add more flour.

The dough above was too wet (obviously) so we added a lot more flour.  Don't be afraid.  As you can see it's is all over her shirt.  Someone buy her an apron for her third birthday next month!

I prefer more filling and less dough so I roll the dough to a 1/8 thickness with a rolling pin and use a cup to cut out each piece, one cup at a time.  The toddler advices you to pound on the cup for an accurate cut into the dough.  Over and over again. And over again.  Place each piece of circled dough on a wax paper.  Make sure, MAKE SURE, each side has enough flour so it doesn't stick.  THIS is the key to making good looking pierogis.  You don't want fugly looking ones!  Set aside.

4.  The filling.

By now, your potatoes are boiled.  Add butter to your liking and add a full 8 oz bag of cheddar white cheese (or 8 oz of cottage cheese in lieu of cheddar) to your taters.  I add my sauteed onions at this point.  Into the mashed potatoes. Nom!  Boil a new pot of water now.

5.  Placing the filling.

Roll the tater mixture into one inch balls and place in the center of each dough cut-out.

6.  Before.  During.  After.

FYI.  This is where you should be at.  Placing a one inch tater filing on-top of a dough mixture.  Tucking the dough over it.  It expands!  Use a fork to secure it's place at the ends.  Being the OCD cook in the family I make sure it's closed by making fork imprints on both sides.  Is your water boiling now?

7.  Boiling.

Add your pierogi to boiling water.  Use a slotted spoon to fish out, one at time.  About 2 to 3 minutes. They are done when they float to the top.  Sometimes you need to give them an extra push by un-sticking them from the pot.  Do so GENTLY.

8.  Frying,

GAH.  This always gets me in trouble!  Let me save you from my impending dilemma. Dry your boiled pierogis with an American paper cloth.  When they are dry... fry them on a low setting.

9.  Toppings.

Saute more onions. Or bacon.  Or sausage.  To sprinkle across the final plate.  Serve with sour cream.

10.  Eat.

Enough said.

Trying to make Polish cuisine posh, one blog post at a time.  Yo!