Pierogi ruskie — traditional Polish dumplings with potato and cheese

INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
– 500 g flour
– 250 ml warm water
– 1 egg
– 1 tablespoon oil
– 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
– 500 g potatoes
– 250 g crumbled white cheese
– 1 large onion
– 2 tablespoons butter
– salt and black pepper to taste

To serve:
– onions fried in butter or sour cream

PREPARATION STEPS
1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, drain and mash with a fork.
2. In a pan melt the butter and fry the finely chopped onion until golden; add to the potatoes.
3. Add the white cheese, salt and pepper; mix well until homogeneous. Let cool.
4. For the dough: mix the flour with the salt, add the egg, oil and warm water; knead 8–10 minutes until soft and elastic. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
5. Roll the dough thin (2–3 mm) and cut circles about 8 cm in diameter.
6. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle, moisten the edges with a little water and seal firmly into a half-moon; press the edges with a fork so they don’t open during boiling.
7. Boil salted water in a large pot; drop the pierogi in small batches. When they float to the surface, leave them 2–3 more minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.
8. Serve warm with onions fried in butter or sour cream on top.

PREP TIME: about 1 hour (dough + filling). COOK TIME: about 20 minutes. SERVINGS: 4–6 (about 35 pierogi).