I am a pierogi junky. I can’t get enough. I would eat pierogies every day if I thought I could get away with it. Maybe it’s that trace of Eastern European blood . . .

You might be tempted to ask – Why in the world would I bother to make pierogies from scratch when I can buy them so cheap at the market???

Just wait. You’ll see.

This recipe is adapted from my most-loved cookbook Rebar Modern Food. You can (and should – unless you have help) make the filling the day before and refrigerate it.

Roasted Yam Pierogi Recipe

Pierogi Filling

• 5 lbs yams or sweet potatoes
• 3 large leeks (the white parts) finely sliced or onions, sliced
• 1 lb of smoked gouda (if you can’t find smoked gouda, look for a smoked old cheddar, the smoke flavour is key), grated
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup minced chives
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked pepper

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and scrub your yams and give them a good poke here and there with a fork.
3. Place them in a parchment-lined baking dish with 1/2 inch or so of water in the bottom.
4. Bake in the oven until they are soft, puffy and steaming from the holes.
5. Cool until you can handle them, scoop out the flesh and mash it well. (I find my food processor does the best job of this.)
6. Meanwhile, heat butter in a frying pan and add onions or leeks and salt and gently sauté until they caramelize.
7. Mix together leeks, yams / sweet potatoes, cheese and chives and season with salt and pepper. Try not to eat it all straight from the bowl.
8. Pop into the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your pierogi.

Pierogy Dough

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tbsp veggie oil

1. Mix flour and salt in a big bowl.
2. Add other ingredients and stir with a spoon until it comes together into a smooth dough.
3. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at room temp.
4. Divide it into quarters and roll it out to about 1/8″ thick long strips about 5-6 inches wide. Use a pasta roller if you have one; the width will be perfect.
5. Spoon a heaping teaspoonful of filling in intervals along the centre of the length of the dough. (See left-hand photo above.)
6. Paint around the filling with water. (You can just use your fingers.)
7. Fold the dough in half over top of the filling – lift the dough up and away from yourself.
8. Carefully press around each dollop of filling and seal the edges.
9. Take a water glass or cookie cutter lightly dusted with flour and cut out your pierogi.
10. If not devouring right away, lay out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, they store well in plastic bags. You can boil them straight from frozen, they will just take a little longer.
11. Cook in boiling, salted water – and if you want to be really decadent, pan fry in lots of butter with onion and sausage and serve with a serious serving of sour cream or greek yogurt.
12. Pig out.