The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.
I made three different Pierogi fillings using the same dough. I chose a Mennonite recipe for the dough and found it very easy to work with. We are celebrating Thanksgiving in August with some foodie friends so I decided to make a sweet potato casserole type of filling for one. I also decided to spike up some mashed potato filling with jalapeno and 3 cheeses – Cheddar, Pepper Jack and a Habanero Monterey Jack/Cheddar blend. For a sweet tooth I utilized a suggestion from my husband to make a Berry and Mascarpone filling, deep fried, sprinkled (heavily) with powdered sugar and served with a Mixed Berry Coulis. Having a husband from Pittsburgh – and highly familiar with the pierogi – he made sure to fry onion in a blend of butter and olive oil and then fried that potato, jalapeno and cheese pierogi’s. Yum! I did everything by hand and will come back and show you the steps after we have Thanksgiving with our friends!!
Sweet Potato, cinnamon sugar, ginger, orange peel, cinnamon and marshmallow
Yukon gold potatoes, chopped jalapeno, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper, cheddar – pepper jack – habanero monterey jack/cheddar cheese pierogi fried in onions, butter and olive oil.
Deep fried dessert pierogi filled with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries (macerated with sugar) mixed with Mascarpone cheese – boiled then deep fried, smothered in powder sugar and served with a side of Mixed Berry Coulis.
