Vareniky Pyrohy (Perogies)

Perogies are equally adored by my boyfriend and myself. The major difference is that my boyfriend grew up on homemade and I on Cheemo. As I've said before, perogies were one of the first dishes I tried of Ome's and it was the first time I had tasted homemade, the difference is incomparable. Obviously a first choice from my wonderful new cookbook had to be perogies.

The texture of this dough is unbelievable. It is the most beautiful dough I have ever had in my hands, it's like silk. Given that the dough felt so delicate, I worried that it may not be able to hold up in the water. No need to worry, the crucial step is placing the perogies in the freezer for a couple of minutes after they are made. By doing so, it firms up the perogies and gives them a little backbone. The possibilities for fillings are only limited to your imagination. In this case, I opted for a trio of potato and cheddar (my personal favorite,) cottage cheese and sauerkraut and bacon. The perogies were amazing, and the best part was that my boyfriend said they were the second best he's ever had and in this case, you can't beat second place.

RECIPE (courtesy of Ann Kozak:)

Dough:
5 cups flour
1 3/4 cup warm milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp salt
1 egg

Sift flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and add all liquid ingredients. Mix together and knead dough until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out 1/4 inch thick. Using a wide drinking glass or a round cookie cutter, cut dough into 2 inch rounds. Place a teaspoon of filling on each round, fold over and seal the edges by gently pinching with your fingers and then pressing lightly with the tines of a fork. Place pyrohy in a single layer a on a baking sheet lined with parchment or lightly floured and place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes (at this point you can freeze them completely on the baking sheet and once frozen, place in freezer bags.) Bring a large pot of water to a gently boil. Place pyrohy in the boiling water about 8 at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon. When they float to the top, cook 5 more minutes. Remove pyrohy, place in a bowl, pour melted butter over the pyrohy. Serve with bacon, sour cream and sauteed onions.

Fillings:
1. 2 egg yolks, 1 lb cottage cheese, 1/2 tsp salt.
2. 1 egg yolk, 1 lb cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, salt and pepper to taste.
3. mashed potatoes w/grated cheese.
4. 3 cups sauerkraut, 1 cup mashed potatoes, salt and pepper to taste.
5. 3 cups sauerkraut, 1/4 cup finely chopped cooked bacon.