Recipe: Prairie Perogies

Perogies are a staple on the Canadian Prairies, having made their way over with Eastern European immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. These doughy pillows vary in size—and spelling—depending on their country of origin and are typically stuffed with potatoes and cheese and served with bacon or sausage. But stuffed with berries, this carb-loading classic makes a delicious dessert.

Makes three dozen

Ingredients

Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water

Filling

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries or saskatoon berries

Butter, for cooking (optional)
Sour cream, for serving

Directions

1. To make the dough, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Then in a small bowl, blend the milk, egg and oil. Add this to the flour mixture and mix until you have a shaggy consistency. Add the water and stir until you have a soft, tacky dough. Knead about 10 times, cover with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

2. For the filling, combine the sugar and flour; and stir in the berries. Roll the dough to about a 1/8-inch thickness and cut into three-inch circles. Fill with a spoonful of the berry mixture. Fold over the dough and pinch the edges together to seal.

3. In pot of lightly salted water, boil perogies in batches; once they float to the top, boil for another minute, then transfer to a dish with a slotted spoon. If you like, heat a few tablespoons of butter in a heavy skillet and brown the well-drained perogies on both sides, until crisp and golden.

Tips:

Freeze leftover perogies and then boil directly from frozen.
Savoury fillings don’t require any particular ratio. Stir grated cheese, sauerkraut and/or a bit of grated raw onion into mashed potatoes.

[This story appears in the January 2020 edition of WestJet Magazine.]

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Recipe: Prairie Perogies