National Pierogi Day has come and gone, but we promised you a recipe so here it is. An all-in-one-r that will satisfy your sweet tooth while celebrating National Dessert month *and* National Apple month: the Apple-Cinnamon Pierogi (Pierogi z Jablkami i Cynamonem). And because they’re currently in season, apples are tasting amazing right now.
Pierogi Dough:
2.5 cups flour
1 egg
0.5 cups
lukewarm water
salt
Apple Cinnamon Filling:
1 1/4 lbs apples
7 Tbsp sugar
Cinnamon to taste
1. Sift flour with salt and create a volcano-like mound on your countertop. Add egg and knead dough firmly while slowly pouring in a thin stream of water.
2. Continue kneading the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Divide into 4 sections, cover with a cloth, and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by peeling, coring, and coarsely grating the apples. In a big bowl, combine with the sugar and cinnamon.
4. On a lightly floured surface roll one section of dough to a thickness of 1/8″ and cut out rounds using a 2.5″ circle cutter. Place about 1 tsp of the filling in the center of each round, fold in half, and crimp edges to form a seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
5. Cook finished pierogi in a pot of salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon.
6. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
Bonus Factoid:
The pierogi is probably the only Polish dish associated with a patron saint – though no one really seems to know what the connection is. Some say that in times of famine, St. Hyacinth helped the poor by feeding them pierogi, which were then considered a delicacy. Nevertheless, “Swiety Jacek z pierogami!” (St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!) is an old expression of surprise – similar to the the American saying “holy smokes!”