Caramelized Onion Pierogi
I grew up with pierogi. In my family they were usually stuffed with potatoes or prunes. Both are very tasty. Recently a friend asked if I could make them stuffed with something else. I decided to make a caramelized onion filling. I had made something similar recently and used the filing with wonton wrappers. It made sense that it would work. Pierogi are often served with sauteed onions. So that is what i did. I love this new version. The filling can be made day ahead, if that is more convenient. It is best to stuff pierogi with cold filling. So here is the recipe for the dough and the filling. You might want to give them a try.
Caramelized Onion Pierogi
Dough:
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
½ c. water (you can also use half milk and half water)
1 egg
Mix all ingredients together and knead on floured surface until smooth. Cover and let rest at least 15 minutes. Roll out thin and cut into circles. Re-roll scraps. You should get between 15-24. Spoon filling of your choice on center of dough circle. Fold dough in half over filling and press edge with fork to seal. Wetting the edge of the dough will help the dough to stick. Don’t overfill or pierogis will split. Test a couple first to get the hang of it. Place a few at a time into salted boiling water and cook until they float. You can eat them as is or brown cooked pierogi in butter in a skillet. Serve with sour cream. We would often make a larger batch and then freeze them, uncooked on wax paper-lined baking sheets. When frozen they would be transferred to a freezer bag or container. Place right from the freezer into boiling water when ready to use.
Filling:
3-4 medium onions, peeled and chopped fine
1 T. oil
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. sugar or brown sugar
1 t. paprika
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
In medium skillet cook the onions in oil over medium to low heat until onions are tender. Add the sugar, vinegar and seasonings and keep cooking the onions until they are a little golden and most of the liquid has cooked off. Adjust seasonings and stir in the cream cheese. Chill filling until ready to use.
