Pierogi with Sauerkraut, Mushroom & Bacon Filling

(about 30 3" pierogi)

I'm a huge fan of dumplings. They are the epitome of comfort food. These sauerkraut pierogi are a nice alternative to the ones with potato and cheese.

If you feel inclined, you can triple the amount and freeze them. I like to arrange them in a single layer on a lightly floured cookie sheet which I place into the freezer for about 20 minutes. At that point they will be cold enough to bag without them sticking together.

I added some melted butter to the dough because a reader mentioned an aunt had done so and her pierogi "melted in your mouth". To be honest, I didn't notice much of a difference. I may not have added enough butter. It was worthwhile trying and I have left the butter in the recipe as an option if you are inclined to give it a try.

sauerkraut filling
1/4 lb peppered bacon, diced
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 cups sauerkraut
salt and pepper
3 tbsp sour cream

Place the bacon into a large skillet and fry until it's almost crispy. Remove most of the rendered fat in the skillet, leaving a teaspoonful or two behind. Add the onion and mushrooms.

Lower the heat and stir the onions and mushrooms into the bacon. Cook, stirring from time to time until the mixture is dry; about 10-12 minutes.

Add the sauerkraut and cook until it has heated through and the mixture is dry again.

Cool the filling. Check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the sour cream until it's well combined.

dough
2 1/4cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp melted butter, cooled (optional)

2 - 5 tbsp water

Place the flour, egg, salt, sour cream and butter (if using) into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Pulse a few times. If the dough doesn't form into a ball and pull away from the sides, then add a tablespoon of water at a time until it does. You want a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Process the dough for a few seconds, then place it into a buttered bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel for at least 20 minutes.

To assemble

butter
cracked pepper

sour cream

Grab a third of the dough at a time and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/6 of an inch thick. Cut out as many *three inch circles as you can. 

*I use a glass for this, depending on the size of your cutting tool,  feel free to make your pierogi slightly larger or smaller if you wish.

Place as much filling as you can into the middle of each circle without letting any of it touch the edges (otherwise you won't get a good seal and the dumplings might open as you boil them). 

Fold the edges together to form crescents, dust them lightly with flour and continue to work until you have used all of the filling and dough.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pierogi, taking care not to crowd them too much (you might have to cook them in batches). Reduce the heat slightly so the water simmers and cook them until they rise to the surface; about 3-5 minutes.

Toss the pierogi in a small amount of butter, dust with freshly cracked pepper and serve with sour cream.

Pierogi with Potato & Cheese Filling

( 24-36 dumplings, depending on size)

I grew up in Edmonton which had a large Ukrainian community, and learned to make these when I was still a teenager. Pierogi were serious business; a friend's mum once wrote me a "sick note" so I could skip an afternoon of school to help her make a huge batch, lol.

These dumplings are usually boiled, then coated with butter and served with fried onions and /or crispy bacon bits and sour cream.

They come with a variety of fillings. The popular one in Edmonton contained mashed potatoes and sharp cheddar cheese. Others were filled with sauerkraut or meat, and then there were the dessert pierogi filled with cherries, blueberries, saskatoon berries or plums.

For the New Year there were tiny ones filled with mushrooms which were placed into soup bowls with hot borscht ladled over them. My mouth waters just thinking of those.

I double this recipe and freeze most of the ones I make. Just place them on a lightly floured cookie sheet after they are filled and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. At that point you can bag them for further freezing. When you are ready for the frozen ones, just drop them straight into the boiling water; don't defrost them.