Polish potato cheese pierogi

Mix the flour and salt, then work the sour cream in by hand until little beads of flour and sour cream form.

Work in the egg, then the four tablespoons of soft butter, using the fingers until the mixture clumps and comes together.

Stop once a rough dough forms; the object is to hydrate the flour, not to work the gluten as for bread.

Wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator at least half an hour, up to an hour.

Use mashed potatoes that are chilled or at room temperature; hot filling dissolves the dough.

Mix a little sour cream into the potatoes, add the cheese and mix thoroughly so every bite carries it.

Season lightly, allowing for whatever salty or savory topping will go on afterwards.

Keep the filling neither dry nor dripping wet, or it will blow out during cooking.

Press the rested dough down, flour it and roll it out.

Cut discs with a three inch cutter, rolled about an eighth of an inch thick: not thin enough to see through, thin enough to manipulate and fill.

Place a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of filling in the centre of each disc.

Fold the disc over and pinch from one side to the other until sealed; no fork is needed.

Lay them out on a sheet and let them dry out a little.

Boil in unsalted water without crowding the pot; they are ready when they float.

To pan fry, boil them first, drain on paper towel, then fry in a pan with butter until golden brown.

Top with butter, or with sauteed onions and fried bacon bits.

Variation for freezing: par boil about 90 seconds only until sealed, air dry on a parchment lined sheet pan in the cooler for a couple of hours, freeze on the same sheet pan, then bag; good for three or four months.

Variation: pan fry from frozen over medium to medium low heat so the temperature comes up slowly; they are cooked through by the time they brown.