Randy Chandler
Sweet cheese pierogi is a popular Polish dish that can be served as a dessert or a main course. The dumplings are filled with sweetened twaróg cheese, also known as Polish farmer's cheese, and flavoured with vanilla. The dough can be made with a variety of ingredients, including flour, eggs, water, salt, sour cream, butter, and gluten-free flour. The pierogi are boiled and then pan-fried, resulting in a crispy, tangy, and creamy treat. They can be served with a variety of toppings, including butter, sugar, sour cream, applesauce, and caramelized onions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Dish | Dessert or Main Course |
| Taste | Tangy, Creamy, Sweet, Cheesy |
| Ingredients | Full-Fat Polish Twaróg Cheese (or Farmer's Cheese), Butter, Egg Yolks, Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Pudding Powder, Salt, Flour, Sour Cream, Eggs |
| Dough | Basic Dough, Sour Cream Dough, Gluten-Free Dough, No-Egg/No-Dairy Dough |
| Cooking Method | Boil, Pan-Fry |
| Serving Suggestions | Whipped Cream, Cinnamon, Strawberry Sauce, Sour Cream, Applesauce, Caramelized Onions, Sugar, Butter, Cream |
| Storage | Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days, Freeze for up to 3 months |
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What You'll Learn
Making the dough
To make the dough, start by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl. You can use a simple mixture of flour and salt, or you can add an egg to the dry ingredients for a lighter dough. Once the dry ingredients are combined, create a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients. Start with the water and butter or oil, if using. You can also add an egg to this mixture if you prefer a dough with eggs. Mix the ingredients together until a dough forms.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This will take some time and effort, but it is important to ensure that the dough is not sticky or crumbly. If the dough is sticky, add small amounts of flour until it becomes smooth. If it is crumbly, add small amounts of water until it reaches the desired consistency.
Once the dough is kneaded, it is ready to be rolled out. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. You can then use a round cutter or a glass to cut the dough into circles. The circles should be about 3 inches in diameter. Gather the dough scraps and set them aside, covering them with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the scraps to make additional circles.
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Preparing the filling
Sweet cheese pierogi is a popular Polish dish that can be served as a dessert or a main course. The filling is made with sweetened twaróg cheese (also known as Polish farmer's cheese), flavoured with vanilla, and sometimes eggs, salt, and sugar. The sweetness of the filling can be adjusted to taste by adding more or less sugar.
To prepare the filling, start by mixing together the egg, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Then, add the farmer cheese and mix thoroughly until well combined. You can adjust the consistency of the filling by adding a teaspoon of semolina or cornflour if it seems too moist. The filling should be moist but firm enough to work with. Cover the filling and refrigerate until you are ready to fill the pierogi.
If you cannot find farmer's cheese at your local market, you can try making it from scratch or using well-drained ricotta cheese as a substitute. However, it is important to note that the taste will be different.
The sweet cheese filling can also be made with full-fat Polish twaróg cheese, which can be substituted with farmer's cheese. You can adjust the sweetness of the filling to your taste by using a sweetener of your choice, such as sugar, xylitol, or vanilla pudding powder. The addition of egg yolks will enhance the flavour and help bind the filling together.
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Assembling the pierogi
To assemble sweet cheese pierogi, start by preparing your desired pierogi dough. Basic pierogi dough is made by combining flour, eggs, water, and salt, but you can also make a sour cream dough by adding sour cream and butter, or a gluten-free dough using gluten-free flour. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Then, use a 3-inch round cutter or a glass with a similar diameter to cut out circles from the dough. Gather the dough scraps, cover them with plastic wrap, and set them aside.
Once you have cut out all your circles, it's time to fill them. Prepare your sweet cheese filling by mixing egg, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add farmer's cheese and mix thoroughly. Then, drop a tablespoon of the filling onto each dough circle. Make sure your hands are clean and dry to avoid sticking. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, encasing the filling. Use a small amount of water to brush the edges of the dough and seal the pierogi closed. You can use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges and ensure a tight seal.
Repeat this process until you have used up all your dough and filling. You can roll out the dough scraps to make additional circles, but be sure to cover the scraps with plastic wrap when not in use to prevent drying out. Place the assembled pierogi on a lightly floured towel, covering them loosely with a kitchen cloth to prevent drying out while you work.
At this stage, your sweet cheese pierogi are ready to be cooked. You can choose to boil or fry them, or even freeze them for later. To boil, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pierogi in batches. Fry your boiled pierogi in butter for a crispy, golden finish. Alternatively, you can deep-fry the pierogi for a lighter, airier texture.
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Boiling the pierogi
Once the pierogi float to the surface, cook them for another 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the dough. Then, remove the pot from the heat and pour a cup of cold water over the pierogi. Use a slotted spoon to lift the pierogi out of the pot, and place them in a single layer on a lightly greased plate. You can serve them immediately, or you can fry them for a crispier texture.
If you are not serving the pierogi immediately, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. It is important to ensure that the pierogi do not stick together. To prevent this, brush them lightly with melted butter, or coat them in butter. You can also freeze cooked pierogi for up to 3 months.
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Frying the pierogi
To fry the pierogi, first, add oil to a pot and heat it to 375°F. Adjust the flame to maintain the heat. Next, place the boiled pierogi in the hot oil. Work in batches of 4 to 6 pierogi at a time, and fry until golden brown and crisp. This should take around 3 to 5 minutes. Use a wire mesh spider or slotted spoon to remove the pierogi from the oil, and place them on a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Season with salt and serve immediately.
You can also fry leftover pierogi that have been stored in the fridge. To do this, heat a little butter in a pan and fry the pierogi until golden. You can also fry pierogi that have been frozen. To do this, defrost the frozen pierogi overnight in the fridge, and then fry them in a little butter.
There are many different ways to serve fried sweet cheese pierogi. Some traditional toppings include melted butter, sour cream, light cream, or a sprinkling of sugar. You could also try serving them with whipped cream, cinnamon, and strawberry sauce, or with applesauce and caramelized onions.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need farmer's cheese, egg, salt, sugar, and vanilla for the filling. For the dough, you can use a basic combination of flour, eggs, water, and salt. You can also add butter, sour cream, or gluten-free flour.
In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Then, add the farmer's cheese and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out dough circles. Drop the filling by tablespoonful onto the dough circles. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pierogi in batches. When they float to the water surface, cook them for 1-2 minutes more, then remove them from the water with a slotted spoon. You can serve them immediately or fry them until golden brown and crisp.
