…for Papa H.

This recipe comes from When You Fast by Catherine Mandell, published by St. Vladimir Seminary Press in Crestwood New York, copyright 2005.  I do recommend this cookbook! 

2 1/2 pounds all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups water

1/4 cup olive oil

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.  Add the water and oil all at once.  Mix well until a smooth soft dough is formed.  Add more water if needed to make a cohesive dough.  Cover the dough with an overturned bowl or a towel and let rest for 30 minutes. 

Roll the dough out to about a  1/8 inch thickness.  You may need to stretch the dough by hand as well to obtain the desired thinness.  If dough really bounces back , let rest for a few minutes to allow the gluten to relax.  Cut the dough into circles or squares. Place a small amount of filling in the center of each piece of dough.  Moisten the edges lightly with water.  Fold on corner or edge or dough over to form a triangle or crescent shape, pinching the edges together to seal.

At this point, the pierogi may be frozen.  Arrange in a sigle layer on a floured cookie sheet (alternatively, a sheet of foured parchment paper placed on a cookie sheet works extremely well) and place in freezer.  When the pierogi are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or plastic freezer container.

To cook pierogi, drop them into boiling salted water, unthawed if frozen, and cook for about 5 minutes (the frozen ones will take a little longer), or until they rise to the top of the pot.  You may eat them either freshly boiled and hot, or let them cool and then fry them in margarine to reheat.

Fillings:

1.  Sauté cabbage and onions in margarine; season with salt and pepper.

2.  Lenten Mashed Potatoes, plain or mixed with the sauteed onions and highly seasoned with salt, pepper and onion powder.

3.  Sauerkraut and sauteed onions.