Perogies (wereneki - pronounced with a V)
This dough recipe is the easiest to work with! Rachael gave it to me in 1999. My favourite filling is traditional mennonite cottage cheese. True fermented sour farmer style cottage cheese is the best! The texture is similar to Ricotta cheese.
Dough:
6 cups all-purpose flour 2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 cup oil
1/4 tsp salt 2 cups very hot water
Filling:
2 cups dry curd cottage cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Stir together dry ingredients, make a well. Add the eggs and oil and begin to stir. If you have a stand mixer use the dough hook. Add the hot water and continue to stir/knead until it forms a ball.
Let dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
Roll out 1/2 of the dough, very thin, on a floured surface.
From here use a Hunky Bill's perogy maker or individual perogy/pasty circle press to make the perogies.
Place a spoon of filling in each circle. If making each one individually, fold the circle in half. Be careful not to get filling along the edge or they won't stay closed when boiling. Pinch along the edges to seal and place and a parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until all the dough and filling is used up.
Perogies can be frozen at this point to be boiled on another day or boiled immediately.
Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water and 1 tbsp of oil and bring to a rolling boil. Carefully drop the perogies into the boiling water. They will initially go to the bottom and when they are nearly done they will float to the top. After about 5 minutes (this may take longer if they were frozen), lift them out of the water with a slotted spoon into a colander. Keep warm and serve with schmauntfat (cream gravy) and farmer sausage!
Schmauntfat (cream gravy):
http://mennoneechiekitchen.com/index.php/2017/01/19/schmaundt-fat-cream-gravy/
500ml whipping cream
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until mixture is thick and consistent. Slowly pour in the cream while continuing to whisk. Continue until heated through and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. This sauce is traditionally served over perogies (wereneki) or homemade egg noodles (kielke) or boiled potatoes.
On a funny note, my sister and I have often been nicknamed wereneki and kielke (Veronica and Sheila).