Pierogies Part 2 (Strawberries Macerated in Sweet Vodka)

When Chris and I planned our pierogi making adventure, we talked about meat and potato fillings. Dessert never even crossed our minds. But then the day he came I was browsing Anne Applebaum’s From a Polish Country House Kitchen: 90 Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food and I noticed that she had pierogi with a strawberry filling, meant to be served as dessert. By complete coincidence, I had just purchased strawberries the day before. As far as I was concerned, it was a sign!

It is also very timely, because it is not often that this Ohioan can get seasonally appropriate spring ingredients onto the blog before people are searching for the recipes. All the berry recipes start popping up and we don’t see our first strawberries until June. But, while these are not as good as those local strawberries, the first domestic strawberries of the year are a very exciting ritual for this midwestern family! It means spring really is coming (all evidence to the contrary)–and at least they actually smell like strawberries!

Alex helped us the entire time we made pierogi, but Sammy got involved only for the strawberry ones, helping to cut out the circles of pasta dough. As you might notice, the strawberry ones have a fancier edge–that is because I did them. I also used the leftover strawberries in vodka to make a strawberry sauce. I liked the dessert as a whole, but just individual pierogi were still too heavy on the pasta for me. Alex on the other hand inhaled them as fast as I made them! (And yes if you are wondering I did allow my kids to eat them. There was not that much raw vodka in them at the end of the day and I chose not to worry about it.)

4.5 from 2 reviews

Pierogi Strawberries Macerated in Sweet Vodka

 

Author:

TheSpicedLife

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Polish

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Closely adapted from Anne Applebaum.

Ingredients

• recipe of rolled out pasta dough found here
• 3 pints fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and cut into large chunks
• 3 T vodka
• 2 T granulated sugar, plus additional sugar for sweetening the strawberry sauce if using
• 1 T confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. Toss the strawberries with the vodka and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover and marinate in the fridge if making in advance by several hours; otherwise just leave on the counter for up to an hour.
2. Toss the strawberries a few times while they are marinating.
3. Using a slotted spoon, place the equivalent of 1 whole strawberry (in pieces) on each circle of pasta dough. Fold the pasta over and crimp along the edges to seal.
4. Place in lightly salted boiling water. Once the pierogi float, let boil for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
5. Fry in butter over medium high heat until lightly browned on both sides.
6. Sift powdered sugar over the fried pierogi.
7. Applebaum serves them with sour cream and brown sugar but I preferred this sauce:
8. Once you have folded all of the pierogi, place the remaining strawberries and liquid into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add sugar to taste, with a tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar. Boil for 10-15 minutes, until thickened. Serve over the fried pierogi with a dollop of whipped cream.

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