Blueberry Pierogis

Cooking for Kids

My Nanny Family makes pierogis to teach the children a recipe that is part of their Polish heritage. You can fill them with fruits, cheese, potatoes, or meats and serve them for any meal during the day or for dessert. My nanny kids’ favorite filling is blueberries served hot with powdered sugar on top. Let the kids to help by measuring ingredients, cutting the dough, stuffing the pierogies, and pinching the Polish dumpling closed. We followed directions found on the Martha Stewart web site.

You Will Need:

For the Dough:

1 Large Egg, lightly whisked
2 T. Sour Cream
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 Cup Water
5 Cups All-Purpose Flour (and more for dusting surface)
Cornmeal
Round Cookie Cutter or Glass

Filling:
8 Cups (4 pints) Blueberries
1 Cup Sugar

Making the Dough:

1. Whisk together egg and sour cream. Whisk in milk and water. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time.

2. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. (Dough will be loose and sticky.) Using a bench scraper, turn and fold dough to knead, dusting with flour as needed, until elastic and no longer sticky, 8 to 10 minutes. (Dough will come together as you knead it. Be careful not to add too much flour, since it will toughen the dough.) Cover with an inverted bowl; let rest for 1 hour.

3. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean linen towel, and dust generously with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

4. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8-inch-thick round (keep other pieces covered).

5. Cut out circles very close together, using a 3-inch cutter or glass (5 inches for the plum version). Cover with plastic wrap to prevent dough from drying. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. Fill pierogi: Place filling in center of each dough circle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

7. Holding 1 circle in your hand, fold dough over filling. Pinch edges, forming a well-sealed crescent. (I let my nanny kids attach two circles together for our pierogis pictured above instead of folding in half).

8. Transfer to cornmeal-dusted towel, and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough circles and filling. Working in batches, transfer pierogi to boiling water. They will sink to the bottom and then rise. Once they have risen, cook through, about 2 minutes more (or up to 4 minutes for plum pierogi, depending on ripeness). For blueberry pierogis, transfer to a platter using a slotted spoon, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Making Blueberry Filling:

8 Cups (4 pints) Blueberries
1 Cup Sugar

What to Do:

My Nanny Kids like mixing whole blueberries with sugar to fill the Pierogis. They like when the juicy whole blueberries squirt in the mouths.

Martha Stewart recommends crushing 2 cups of blueberries with your hands. Then toss with remaining 6 cups whole blueberries and the sugar.

For each pierogi, use 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons filling.

References:

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Photos by Stephanie Felzenberg