Uncle Bills Apple Filling For Peroshky Food

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup milk in a cup or small bowl. Stir in sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Pour the remaining milk into a large bowl.
• Add the melted butter, egg, salt and 1 cup of flour to the large bowl with the milk. Stir in the yeast mixture. Mix in flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and doesn't stick to your hands. Cover the bowl loosely and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Dough should almost triple in size.
• While you wait for the dough to rise, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has wilted. Mix in the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender. Set this aside for the filling.
• Place the risen dough onto a floured surface and gently form into a long snake about 2 inches wide. Cut into 1 inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Flatten the balls by hand until they are 4 to 5 inches across. Place a spoonful of the cabbage filling in the center and fold in half to enclose. Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line one or two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Place the pirozhki onto the baking sheet, leaving room between them for them to grow.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

UNCLE BILL'S APPLE FILLING FOR PEROSHKY

Steps:

• Prepare apples and place into a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle lemon juice over and mix to coat.
• This prevents the apples from turning brown.
• In a mixing bowl, mix together sugar, tapioca starch and ground cinnamon and mix well.
• Add mixture to apples and mix well to coat.
• Let mixture sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple mixture to the dough rounds or the prepared pastry cups.
• Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is just lightly browned.

UNCLE BILL'S POTATO/CHEDDAR FILLING FOR PEROGIES

Steps:

• In a medium size saucepan, add potatoes and just cover with water.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat and cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Drain and mash potatoes.
• Add grated cheese and mix well.
• Cheese will melt and will be incorporated with the potatoes.
• In a frying pan, add butter, chopped onions and garlic and saute' for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add saute'ed onion/garlic to the potatoes in the saucepan and mix well.
• Add beaten eggs, salt and pepper and mix well.
• The amount of filling to use will depend on the size of Mini Form you will be using.
• If using the 4" Mini Form, use 1 heaping tablespoon of filling.
• The filling mix handles best when cooled.

UNCLE BILL'S BLUEBERRY FILLING FOR PEROSHKY

Steps:

• If you are using frozen blueberries, thaw before using.
• In a mixing bowl, mix together sugar and tapioca starch until well mixed.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture to be used for adding to the base of the pastry.
• Add remaining sugar mixture to the blueberries and carefully mix well to coat berries.
• Let mixture sit for about 5 minutes before using.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar/tapioca starch mixture to the dough rounds or pastry cups.
• Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of blueberries into either the regular dough or the pastry dough.
• Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is just lightly browned.

UNCLE BILL'S PASTRY DOUGH FOR PEROSHKY

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine cake and pastry flour and salt.
• Add Crisco and using a pastry blender, cut in until mixture is uniform and crumbly.
• In a small bowl, beat egg.
• Add water and white vinegar and mix to blend.
• Add egg mixture to flour and mix until dough is evenly moist.
• Divide dough in half and form into balls.
• Wrap one dough ball in plastic wrap while you are using the other one.
• On a lightly floured surface roll dough out to about 1/8" thickness.
• Using a 3 1/2" round cookie cutter or any tool that would be about this size, cut out rounds.
• Prepare a medium size muffin baking tin by spraying with a non stick vegetable spray.
• Carefully lift dough rounds with a spatula and place rounds into the muffin tins.
• Gently press down and around the sides of the muffin tin to shape.
• Place about 2 tablespoons of fruit mixture into the prepared dough cup keeping fruit mixture down about 1/4" from the top, (DO NOT OVERFILL).
• Using the tynes of a fork, press the top edge of the pastry to form a crinkled pattern.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar (if desired) onto the fruit.
• Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is just lightly brown.
• Let sit for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.
• Carefully run a small sharp knife around the edges and remove tarts onto a wire rack to cool.
• The crusts will be quite short, so be carefull when removing the tarts from the muffin tins.
• Serve with butter, ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, whipping cream or whipped cream.
• These tarts are good to eat hot or cold.

UNCLE BILL'S VARIETY OF FRUIT FILLINGS FOR PYROSHKY

Steps:

• If using strawberries, remove hulls, wash and slice.
• If using raspberries, huckleberries, use whole.
• If using rhubarb, cut into small pieces.
• If using cherries, pit first.
• If using peaches or apricots, remove stones and cut fruit into pieces.
• In a mixing bowl, mix together sugar and tapioca starch, mix well to blend.
• Add sugar/tapioca starch mixture to fruit and mix well to coat.
• Let sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Fill pastry cups with 1 1/2 tablespoons of your choice of fruit mixture.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar to each tart.
• Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is just lightly browned.

UNCLE BILL'S REGULAR DOUGH RECIPE FOR PEROSHKY

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
• Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly.
• In another mixing bowl, combine whipping cream, sour cream and baking soda.
• Add beaten eggs and vanilla extract and blend well.
• Add whipping cream mixture in small amounts to flour mixture, alternating with the addition of the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour, mixing well after each addition until dough is medium soft.
• Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times until it is not sticky to the hands.
• Add more flour if required so the dough does not stick to your hands.
• Break off pieces of dough and roll between your hands to the size of a golf ball.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough balls out to 1/8" thickness and they should be about 4" in diameter.
• Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of your choice of fruit mixture (to follow) onto the center of the dough round.
• Bring edges of dough up towards the center and crimp edges to form a cup, leaving the top open.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar (if desired) into the open top.
• Place PEROSHKY on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is light brown.
• Remove from oven and cool for about 15 minutes.
• Serve with ice cream, sour cream, melted butter or whipped cream.