Pierogies

I have never made pierogies before. I have made a few other types of dumplings - gnocchi, soup dumplings. I made them for the first time today. I don't know if these are 'traditional' pierogies, but I know at least the filling is not. These are made from a soft dough made with sour cream. I filled them with tomato concassé and brunoise of swiss cheese, as I was practicing my knife cuts. Then I served them with a garlic aioli. 

Pierogies
1 large egg
5 Tablespoons sour cream
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
desired filling

In a small bowl, beat the egg, then beat in the sour cream. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Knead the dough until smooth. The dough will be quite soft and slightly sticky, but should not stick to you. At this point I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about an hour, but this is probably optional unless you find the dough too soft to work with. 

When ready to cook, roll the dough out to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut into two inch rounds. Place a small amount of the desired filling in the center of each circle, then fold dough over and press with a fork to seal.

Cook the pierogies in salted simmering (not a full boil, or they may break). They will float to the top pretty quickly, then cook two minutes, flip, then two minutes more until they have some color and are no longer doughy. Drain well. At this point, pierogies are usually pan-fried in a little oil for added color, flavor, and texture. Serve with sour cream or sauce of choice.