I love pierogies. If you aren't familiar with them, they are a dough pocket filled with mashed potatoes. Since I've never been able to find safe ones for Jazlyn, I decided I would figure out a way to make them from scratch. I decided to start with a simple dough then fill it with a mashed potato and bacon bit filling. Next time I'm also planning on adding some cooked ground beef. Jazlyn absolutely loved them and so did my whole family. I made my pierogies jumbo sized because I didn't want to fill and wrap a ton of small ones. This recipe made 22 jumbo pierogies. We had some leftover so I placed them on a wax paper lined sheet and flash froze them. I placed them in a freezer Ziploc once they were frozen. They reheated great in the microwave, the dough just became a little tougher. That didn't stop my girls from begging for more. I'm warning you ahead of time that this is not my usual quick to prepare meal, but they are so worth the extra time. Start to finish it took me about 2 hours to prepare them. For me, the extra time was worth it to see the smile on Jazlyn's face as she ate her first pierogies.
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp dairy free margarine
2/3 - 1 1/3 cup water
Prepared mashed potatoes
Optional additional fillings include bacon bits, finely diced onion, ground beef or other meats desired, etc.
Combine the flour and salt. Add the margarine then used a fork or your hands to mix until thoroughly combined. Add 2/3 cup of water then mix until well blended. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more water until the dough is able to be kneaded. Knead on a floured surface for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover then allow the dough to set for 10-15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4" thick. Cut the dough into circles using a 4" round cookie cutter. Place the circles on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue until all of the dough is used, rerolling as needed. Combine the mashed potatoes and any additional fillings you desire. Take one of the circles then roll them out thin. Place 3-4 tbsp of the filling on half of each circle. Use enough filling so that the dough is puffed when folded. Wet the entire way around the edge of the circle then fold in half. Use a fork to crimp the edges shut. Wet the crimpled edge, fold over the edge again then use a fork to crimp the edges. Folding the edges ensures that the edges are tightly sealed. Bring a large pot of water to a boil then carefully drop 4-5 pierogies into the water. Boil for 2-4 minutes or until the pierogies float to the top. Continue until all of the pierogies are cooked.
* I was able to make 22 big pierogies. If desired, you can use a small cookie cutter.
* Leftovers can be flash frozen then stored in a freezer Ziploc bag. Simply reheat in the microwave.
Shared with 33 Shades of Green, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Frugal Follies, Cybele Pascal, Allergy Free Cookery and Make Ahead Meals.
