My ex's family were all Polish and for about two more years after we married, his paternal grandmother ("NaNa") was still with us. During that time she taught me how to make some of the more "popular" Polish food-stuffs, a few dishes such as Golabki (stuffed cabbage), "Paczki" (the "jelly" donuts), "Krupnik" (Fire vodka), Kielbasa, and "Pierozki" (Pierogi). Just mentioning these because this is what they had for their Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. I'm not sure if this is what is part of the Polish holiday tradition or if it is just what his family did.
If anyone wants any of her other recipes (those listed above or others I also have), just hollar. Here are the 2 recipes she used for the pierogi.
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NaNa Terese's Pierozki (pierogi)
INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast (or 2-1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 cup warm water (between 105-110 degrees F)
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups, approx., all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon fine lemon zest**
make filling of your choice (see her recipes)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Beat eggs with melted butter and salt until thick and fluffy.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes undisturbed.
3. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture. Beat in sour cream, sugar, and lemon peel**, if using.
4. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is firm but not stiff.
5. Place dough on floured counter top and knead for 3 minutes.
6. Grease or oil a large bowl and put dough in i. Cover with a cotton towel (flour sack towel) and let rise in a warm place until double. This will take about one hour.
7. Divide dough into sections which you can easily handle and so you don’t overwork it.
8. Roll out dough tto about 3/8 inch thick. Flour the counter as needed.
9. Using a round cutter or a wide mouth glass or coffee cup, mouth should be 3 inches. Can also use an empty tuna can or other can empty and washed with warm soapy water. Cut the rounds to 3 inch circles.
10. Place a spoonful of filling on the circle, a little to one side of the round.
11. Moisten the edges, fold over and seal. Use the large pastry fork to pinch dough together.
12. Use a cookie sheet to place the prepared pierogi’s on but make sure it is greased with Crisco, butter or margarine or line with wax paper or parchment paper so they do not
13. Place filled pierogi onto the greased cookie sheet.
14. Freeze them at this point in the single layer until frozen. When solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. Wrap them well so the air does not get in. Will keep good for 6 months.
15. If you want to make them now, you can bake them at 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
This batch of dough will make 36 (3 dz)
**Lemon zest can be used with all fillings or it can be reserved for use in dessert fillings. Lemon is good with the pepper chicken filling.
NOTES: We prefer this recipe with the yeast. The other recipe is more "doughy", and kind of "chewy"; all of us thought this. This yeast dough doesn't take much longer to make than the others do. While these are setting to rise, the filling can be made during that time period.
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PIEROZKI
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
filling
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make a mound out of the flour on the counter top or the bread board and make a well in the middle.
2. Drop the eggs and salt into the well.
3. Add the water. Working from the center (the inside) of the well, mix the flour into the water and eggs. Add as much flour as needed to make a ball of dough. Knead dough until well mixed and it is firm.
4. Cover with a warm bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Divide dough in half.
6. Flour the counter or bread board. Pat dough down with your hand and then roll out with rolling pin to as thin as you can.
7. Use a glass or coffee cup or a can that has a wide opening of 3 inches, or use a biscuit cutter.
8. Place a small amount of already prepared filling onto the circle.
9. Moisten edges with water, fold over and press ends together firmly. Use a fork if you want but make sure you don’t puncture the dough, yet, make sure they are sealed good so he filling will not leak out.
10. Bring a large pot, like a stock pot, filled with water, to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt and lower heat to keep pot boiling
11. Drop gently into boiling salted water and gently boil them fofr 3 to 5 minutes, or until they float to the top.
12. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or spider.
NOTES: The dough will dry really easily. It will not seal properly. Work with half of the dough at a time. Roll out a large circle, cut out all the little circles, place the filling on them, moisten all the edges then fold over and seal, etc.
Don’t put too many in the pot at one time because they will stick together and will not be properly cooked and they will be lumpy.
Yield: 18-24 pierogi
NOTES: While this is a quicker recipe, prefer the one with the yeast. These are "doughy", and kind of "chewy", all of us thought this. The yeast dough doesn't take much longer to make than these do.
If anyone wants any of her other recipes (those listed above or others I also have), just hollar. Here are the 2 recipes she used for the pierogi.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
NaNa Terese's Pierozki (pierogi)
INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast (or 2-1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 cup warm water (between 105-110 degrees F)
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups, approx., all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon fine lemon zest**
make filling of your choice (see her recipes)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Beat eggs with melted butter and salt until thick and fluffy.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes undisturbed.
3. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture. Beat in sour cream, sugar, and lemon peel**, if using.
4. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is firm but not stiff.
5. Place dough on floured counter top and knead for 3 minutes.
6. Grease or oil a large bowl and put dough in i. Cover with a cotton towel (flour sack towel) and let rise in a warm place until double. This will take about one hour.
7. Divide dough into sections which you can easily handle and so you don’t overwork it.
8. Roll out dough tto about 3/8 inch thick. Flour the counter as needed.
9. Using a round cutter or a wide mouth glass or coffee cup, mouth should be 3 inches. Can also use an empty tuna can or other can empty and washed with warm soapy water. Cut the rounds to 3 inch circles.
10. Place a spoonful of filling on the circle, a little to one side of the round.
11. Moisten the edges, fold over and seal. Use the large pastry fork to pinch dough together.
12. Use a cookie sheet to place the prepared pierogi’s on but make sure it is greased with Crisco, butter or margarine or line with wax paper or parchment paper so they do not
13. Place filled pierogi onto the greased cookie sheet.
14. Freeze them at this point in the single layer until frozen. When solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. Wrap them well so the air does not get in. Will keep good for 6 months.
15. If you want to make them now, you can bake them at 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
This batch of dough will make 36 (3 dz)
**Lemon zest can be used with all fillings or it can be reserved for use in dessert fillings. Lemon is good with the pepper chicken filling.
NOTES: We prefer this recipe with the yeast. The other recipe is more "doughy", and kind of "chewy"; all of us thought this. This yeast dough doesn't take much longer to make than the others do. While these are setting to rise, the filling can be made during that time period.
&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&&%&%&%&%&%&%&%&&%&%&%&%&%&%&
PIEROZKI
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
filling
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make a mound out of the flour on the counter top or the bread board and make a well in the middle.
2. Drop the eggs and salt into the well.
3. Add the water. Working from the center (the inside) of the well, mix the flour into the water and eggs. Add as much flour as needed to make a ball of dough. Knead dough until well mixed and it is firm.
4. Cover with a warm bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Divide dough in half.
6. Flour the counter or bread board. Pat dough down with your hand and then roll out with rolling pin to as thin as you can.
7. Use a glass or coffee cup or a can that has a wide opening of 3 inches, or use a biscuit cutter.
8. Place a small amount of already prepared filling onto the circle.
9. Moisten edges with water, fold over and press ends together firmly. Use a fork if you want but make sure you don’t puncture the dough, yet, make sure they are sealed good so he filling will not leak out.
10. Bring a large pot, like a stock pot, filled with water, to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt and lower heat to keep pot boiling
11. Drop gently into boiling salted water and gently boil them fofr 3 to 5 minutes, or until they float to the top.
12. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or spider.
NOTES: The dough will dry really easily. It will not seal properly. Work with half of the dough at a time. Roll out a large circle, cut out all the little circles, place the filling on them, moisten all the edges then fold over and seal, etc.
Don’t put too many in the pot at one time because they will stick together and will not be properly cooked and they will be lumpy.
Yield: 18-24 pierogi
NOTES: While this is a quicker recipe, prefer the one with the yeast. These are "doughy", and kind of "chewy", all of us thought this. The yeast dough doesn't take much longer to make than these do.
Vive Bene! Spesso L'Amore! Di Risata Molto!
Buon Appetito!
Linda
Buon Appetito!
Linda