Pysanky Joe’s Pierogi

For many years, my wife has admired the beautifully decorated Easter eggs many Easter European cultures produce; so when our local adult education catalogue offered a class in decorating Pysanky Easter eggs she jumped at the chance.  The class was taught by Joe, a pastry chef in Detroit that learned the traditional craft from his grandmother.  Since he had no children of his own, he felt teaching others was his way of passing on his Polish heritage to future generations.  He also taught a Pierogi making class for the same reason and, of course, my wife signed me up for it immediately.  Joe said this recipe isn’t strictly “traditional” but they are  fairly easy to make and wonderfully delicious.  The potato-cheese filling is his recipe, the kapusta (sauerkraut) came from my sister-in-law, and the blueberry recipe is from my mom.
   
Joe’s Pierogi Dough
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
1 stick butter
5 C flour
1 egg
Pinch of salt
½ C+ hot water

Cut-blend the cream cheese, butter, flour and salt in a bowl using two butter knives or a pastry blender. Add the egg then gradually add the hot water until the smooth ball is formed.  Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out thin and cut circles using a biscuit cutter or the top of a large drinking glass.  Fill each circle with your choice of fillings, wet the edge of the circle with water and bring the two edges together and pinch to make sealed pocket.
In a large pot bring salted water to a boil then slide 6-8 pierogi at a time, leaving them in until they float to the top (2 minutes).  Retrieve each from the water with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack until cool enough to eat or fry in a pan with a little butter. They can also be completely cooled, sprayed with a non-stick spray and frozen for later use.  Makes up to 4 dozen (depending on size.)

Potato-Cheese Filling
3 large onions
2 (yes 2) sticks of butter
8 lbs of potatoes
½ brick Velveeta cheese
Salt and pepper
Boil potatoes until soft, chop onions and saute them in the butter until soft.  Cut up the cheese into cubes and melt them into the butter/onion mixture.  Blend this into the potatoes and mash/blend it all until smooth.  Salt and pepper to taste.  This will make a TON of filling.

Kapusta (Sauerkraut) Filling
1 stick butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 jar sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
8 oz of mushrooms roughly chopped into pieces
1 C sour cream
Salt and pepper
Fry the onions in the butter until soft. Add the mushrooms, then the kraut, sour cream, salt and pepper and simmer for a hour.  Eat it as a side disk with kielbasa or use it as perogi filling.

Blueberry Filling
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 cups blueberries
Whisk together sugar and flour; set aside. Fill each round with about 1 tsp. flour/sugar mixture and 5-6 blueberries. Pull dough over filling; pinch edges together to seal.