Perogies - New and Improved

Three years ago I posted an old family recipe for perogies. If you missed it, you can see it HERE . The other day my mother informed me that my perogy dough was too tough. I've been making them the same way for years and this is the first time you've even mentioned that you thought the dough wasn't soft enough. Perogies are serious business; I mean you just don't make one or two. You haul out the flour, eggs, potatoes and block off the better part of a day and just get busy with it. It makes a mess but if you're already making a mess, make a whole lot of perogies so you only make the mess once in a while.

I needed to perfect the recipe so I started doing some research. What do other recipes have that mine doesn't and how does it actually impact the final product. Ukranian or Polish - is there really a difference in perogie making? I found out what makes the difference and tried a new dough recipe. The secret ingredients that make the dough softer are a combination of sour cream, melted butter and vegetable oil.

Dough

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups sour cream

I found this dough really easy to work with and indeed much softer than my previous recipe. I'll have to get the "mother seal of approval" on this one.

Filling

5-6 medium potatoes
1-2 cups shredded old cheddar

Mix dry ingredients together and make a well in the centre
In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients and add to the centre of the well. From the outer edge to the centre, bring in the flour to combine with the wet ingredients until all the flour is incorporated. Knead into a ball for a few minutes, cover with kitchen wrap and refrigerate at least 1/2 hour before using.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness in 3 equal portions on a well floured board or counter top. Flour your rolling pin well. Don't roll the dough too thin or your perogies will tear more easily. Using a glass or a round cookie cutter, cut out the dough in circles. Fill each circle with a teaspoon of filling and pinch together forming a half moon.

These are the ingredients as I used them for this batch. I rolled out 5 dozen perogies on this recipe so if you're wanting to make alot multiply accordingly. Many people like to add fried onion to their filling - I specifically don't for Psychgrad's sake. Did I forget to mention that Psychgrad loves perogies and since I haven't seen her in a while, having perogies in the freezer could be a pretty decent enticement for a visit :).

Verdict: This will now be my new go to recipe. If only I could remember where I found it.