Smoked Cheddar and Caramelized Onion Pierogies

Smoked Cheddar Pierogies

Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
1 cup water
1 large egg, beaten
2 tsp canola oil
1 teaspoon salt

Filling
1 1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
6 oz grated smoked Cheddar (approx. 2 1/2 cups)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
pinch of mace
1 medium onion minced and caramelized
1 large clove garlic minced and caramelized

Mixing Dough:
Put flour in a bowl and make a well in center. Add water, egg, oil, and salt and start to slowly beat together with flour. Once the dough forms, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. It is a soft dough. Wrap in plastic and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Mixing Filling:
Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain potatoes well, let cool then transfer to a bowl. Add cheese, onion/garlic, salt, pepper, and mace. Mix ingredients well, mashing the potatoes until the ingredients come together.

Shaping and Storing Pierogies:
Roll out half of dough to about 1/8 inch on lightly floured surface. Use as little flour as possible to ensure that the dough stretches rather than sliding around. Using a cutter (or the rim of a glass), cut the dough into circles. Place about one teaspoon of filling into the center of the dough circle and close it, by folding in half, creating a half-moon. Pinch edges together to seal completely. Place a sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet and place pierogies in one level on the sheet and freeze. Once frozen, they can be transferred to baggies to create single servings.

Cooking the Pierogies.
Boil: Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add half of pierogies, stirring once or twice to keep them from sticking together, and cook 5 minutes from time pierogies float to surface.

Fry: You can then toss them in a skillet with oil to crisp and brown. Reheat any boiled leftovers by sautéing.

Serve with more caramelized onions and sour cream on the side.