My First Attempt at Making Perogies!

So, I consulted the cookbook my mother-in-law wrote for the family, my sister-in-law and several other Ukrainian cookbooks in an attempt to find a recipe for perogies. I wanted a recipe that was authentic. I wanted it to be the kind of recipe that would have been handed down through the generations from "the old country". Most of the recipes I found contained potato flakes. I was talking to my mom one night and she told me that when my grandma (who was Ukrainian - on my dad's side of the family) came to visit, she would always make perogies. I remembered this. She told me that she watched her make perogies one time and wrote down everything she did so she could repeat it herself. Apparently, my grandma was really excited about this as she told my mom that no one had ever written the recipe down before. It was just something taught to daughters by their mothers. So, I had a recipe to use that was authentic, that had no potato flakes and the best part is that it was truly part of my family history! The tricky part to this is that making perogies is an art that is usually taught through the generations and I didn't have someone to teach me. I knew what the end the product was supposed to look like and taste like and had to figure out how to get there. So, here is the adventure I went on!

Potatoe Cheese Mixture Recipe
8 or 9 large potatoes
water and salt for boiling potatoes
2-3 tbsp of butter to saute onions
1/2 medium sweet onion very finely chopped
approximately 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

I started by peeling and chopping up about 5 large potatoes. On hind sight, this was not quite enough. I would probably do more like 8 or 9 large potatoes next time. I salted the water and here is a tip from my grandma (Grossmutter)'s cookbook: take a small amount of butter or margarine and run it along the rim of the pot. It will keep your potatoes from boiling over!






Perogy Dough Recipe
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups warm water (I used potato water based on tips I received from family)

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the middle.










In a separate bowl beat egg and oil together (see picture). Add warm water to egg/oil mixture. I used water from cooking the potatoes based on a tip I got from family members.

I sauteed half a sweet medium onion in butter to add to the potato cheese mixture for the filling.










Next, I mashed the potatoes well and added the sauteed onions. After that was combined, I added about a cup of grated medium cheddar cheese (my sister-in-law recommended I try aged next time), a little salt and pepper and mixed it. I tasted it to be sure I had enough cheese, salt and pepper.




I added the water, oil egg mixture to the flour mixture for the dough and combined with a spoon. I then turned it out on the clean counter top and needed it with my hands to combine well and make the dough smooth. Once finished, I put it in a large Ziploc bag and sealed (the dough will dry out quickly). I let it rest for about 10 minutes. I opened the Ziploc, cut off a small portion of the dough (about the size of a medium orange), resealed the bag, rolled it out on a lightly floured counter top. The dough should be rolled out to about 1/8". I selected a drinking glass with a diameter of approximately 2" to cut the perogy dough. We like small perogies in our family. If you prefer them larger, you can use something that is 3-3 1/2". I rubbed the edges of the glass in the flour on the counter top and then cut my dough into circles. I peeled away the remaining dough and sealed it in a Ziploc bag.

I took 1/2 tbsp of potato cheese mixture and rolled it into a ball and put it on the center of the circle of perogy dough.









I carefully stretched and folded the centers up to wrap around the ball of potato and cheese mixture and pinched it to seal. Then carefully stretch the sides to meet and seal. Be sure there are no gaps or that no potato mixture gets in the way of the seal or they will open up when you cook them. If you have trouble sealing them, dab your finger in water and lightly moisten the edge and it should stick.

Place parchment or wax paper on a cookie sheet and lightly dust with flour. Place finished perogies on cookie sheet while you work on the remaining dough. Continue the steps above until you are finished.





Once you are finished, you can place the cookie sheets in the freezer to freeze. Once frozen, seal in small Ziploc bags in quantities of a dozen. Be sure to suck out the air to avoid freezer burn.

When it comes time to prepare the perogies, boil water in a pot. Then add perogies. Stir gently so they don't stick together. Once they float, cook for a couple more minutes. Approximately 5 minutes total. Serve with melted butter and if desired, sauteed onions or bacon and sour cream for dipping.


My grandma always told me that you have to have Coke with your perogies. So, I treated myself to a Coke with dinner! ;-) Enjoy!