Dear Sons,
Growing up there was never any important family holiday where pierogies where not served. You would think that our family was Ukrainian or Polish…. we were/are not! Every Christmas, and birthday these were always the most anticipated treat on the menu.
I can remember all the many days leading up to Christmas day with my mom, my aunt and my granny all standing in the kitchen. All three of them with flour coated fingers rolling, cutting, stuffing and pinching. There would be rows of perfectly shaped half-moon little dumplings lining the counter tops waiting to be boiled or fried.
My brothers and I would stuff ourselves sick! It was so great!
You guys won’t have those same memories, now in all Canadian grocery stores and most American grocery stores you can find pre-made frozen pierogis… I am sorry to say that about 80% of the pierogis that you have consumed throughout your lives have been of this variety. However, I will admit that homemade pierogis are 100 thousand times better!
If you are feeling adventurous and have a free Saturday try making these from scratch! You will not be disappointed.
Promise to STUFF YOURSELVES SICK in my honour!
Love you!

Pierogis (Ukrainian Dumplings)
Ingredients
Pierogi Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 TBSP oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vinegar
Pierogi Filling: Potato and Cheddar Cheese
- 3 large potatoes mashed
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
Pierogi Filling: Potato and Sauerkraut
- 3 large potoatoes mashed
- 1 cup sauerkraut
Pierogi Filling: Potato, Cottage Cheese and Fresh Dill
- 3 large potatoes Mashed
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 TBSP fresh dill minced fine
Instructions
Pierogi Dough
- Put egg, oil, vinegar and warm water into a shaker and mix well.
- Slowly pour over the flour and knead well.
- Form into a ball, cover and let rest 15 min.
- There are many different types of Pierogi "makers". My favorite is to roll the dough out as thin as you can get it and use the top of a cup, or a biscuit cutter.
Pierogi Filling
- Peel and chop up russet potatoes. Boil in salted water. All of our pierogi fillings start with a potato base.
- Mash them up! Look boys! I am using Granny M. potato masher!!
- Add your different fillings to the potato base. Really this is where your imagination and taste bud adventure starts. Think out side the box!
Forming the Pierogi:
- Once you have cut disks of dough. Carefully spoon in some of the potato mixture. Try to keep the potato mixture in the center of the disk - if it gets on the edge the dough will not form properly and it will open when you boil them.
- Wet the edge of the disk with your finger and a little water and pinch it closed. Forming a small half moon shape.
- Once your pierogis have been formed, boil them in a large pot of salted water. when they float to the top of the water give them 1 min and pull them out. Put them in a bowl of melted butter and diced onion. Serve them with sour cream and bacon bits. This is where I always stop, however, Granny M. would always fry some so they would get a crispy crunchy outside.