Cinnamon Cheese Pierogi
 Homemade from Scratch

Okonski Family Recipe
Ed & Helen Okonski
Okonski Ancestors

                         Polish Cinnamon Cheese Pierogi                                 

Homemade Cheese – Takes Several Days  
            Find 1 – 2 gallons of non-pasteurized milk from local dairy
            Place milk in cleaned crock type bowls in place on counter or table
            Place a good cover cloth over bowl of milk      
           After 3 days, gather cream from milk and leave rest in bowl for 2 extra days
            After contents sour and lumpy, drain milk/water from cheese
            Scald cheese
            Use tightly netted strainer or cloth sack to drain all remaining water

 Make Pierogi Dough

                    2 ½ cup Flour  
                        ½ Tbsp Salt
                        1 Egg
                        ½ cup Cold Water

            Sift flour onto bread board
            Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of salt
            Add egg
            Work ingredients into dough and adding cold or lukewarm water as needed
            Work dough on flour board until firm and smooth.
            Dough cannot be dry or crumbly  or damp and sticky
            Roll into ball and let stand for 10 minutes under a warm bowl

           Add Favorite Filling

             Sprinkle cinnamon generously into cheese
            Add regular or brown sugar to taste
            Optional add raisins
            Mix ingredients well
            Take 1/3 of dough at a time and roll out thin
            Cut dough into 2 – 3 inch squares
            Place a Tbsp of filling on each square slightly off center
            Fold in half and press edges together with clean fingers
            Crimp edges to seal well
            Drop small batches of pierogi into a fairly large pot of boiling salted water

            After boiling resumes, reduce heat to slow boil
            Cook for 10 minutes
            Test for dough being done
            Remove to pan and cool with cold water

           Cooked, drained and cooled pierogi can be frozen in freezer bags
           Thaw at room temperature  

            Place in skillet with real butter to brown on both sides
            Serve hot and divide so everyone gets some good eating

 The Best Polish Pierogi in the World

                 
Making Dough                                                                           Cheese Mix

    
Helen & Mary Ann making dough                                                      Rolling dough

    
Helen, rolling dough                                                                    Helen & Mary Ann rolling dough

    
Helen cutting dough                                                                    Mary Ann & Helen stuffing pierogi

                             
Filled pierogi                                                                                Boiling pierogi - done when floating

    
Frying pierogi                                                                        Fried pierogi

     
Dozen fried pierogi                                                                    Dozen fried darker pierogi