The Winner IS:

JAYNE ASTON’S PEROGIES!!!

Not only was this recipe incredibly easy to make, it was savory, deceptively light and I totally fell for it because I’d never heard of Perogies before.

Since Jayne hails from Canada and mentioned that you can find perogies in the freezer section at the supermarket, I assumed they were native to Canada. After I did a little searching, however, I discovered that Perogies are actually a traditional Polish dumpling that is typically filled with mashed potatoes, cheese, and fried onions, but can also be filled with mushrooms our sauerkraut.

I followed Jayne’s recipe to the T and it is fabulous! Her dumpling dough is superb and when I took my first bite of one of these pipping hot dumplings, I knew she was the stand out winner.

Since I can’t just mosey on up to Canada to the farmer’s market where Jayne shops for her local fare, I sourced my organic potatoes and eggs from Boggy Creek Farm, which is only a few miles down the road from where I live.

Congrats, Jayne, and thanks for contributing your talents to such a wonderful cause.

Perogies

1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons potato flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
2 organic eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine flours, salt and xanthan gum. Beat eggs lightly and add oil. Pour egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir. This will feel much like pastry dough. Work together into a firm ball. Knead for two or three minutes.

Roll out as you would pastry dough and cut circles using a tart or biscuit cutter (about 3.5 inches in diameter) or sharp knife. You should get 8-9 rounds.

Use your fingertips to wet the edges of each circle. Let the water sit for a few minutes, making a nice, sticky edge. (By the time you get to the last circle, the first one should be just sticky enough.) Spoon some filling into the center of each circle. Fold the circle in half, pinching and crimping the edges until they are sealed tight. A pastry or ravioli wheel works well for this.

For the Filling:

I like to use left over mashed potatoes, shredded cheese and minced onion.

Be creative. You can add bacon bits, finely chopped green pepper or whatever you like.

To cook, place perogi in a large pot of salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes (and hope that you sealed them tight enough!) Remove with a slotted spoon. Fry them in butter until golden brown.

Any that you are cooking right away, set aside. Any that you will be freezing, place on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer until they are dry. Once they’re no longer sticky you can put them in freezer bags.

Serve hot with sour cream for dipping.

Serves 3

Katsushika Hokusai, 1760-1849
Irises and Grasshopper, Series: Grande Flowers 1830-1831
Woodblock, 25.2 cm x 37.6 cm
The Art Institute of Chicago
Edo- Era Japanese Artist and Printmaker

Food Photo by Philip Clegg