Perogie Puffs

These aren’t your baba’s boiled pierogies. Perogie puffs take the classic potato and cheese filling and wrap it in a cottage cheese dough that puffs up golden and crispy in the deep fryer. Think of them as the love child of a perogy and a doughnut.

The dough is what makes these special. Pressing cottage cheese through a ricer or sieve breaks it down into a smooth paste that blends right into the flour. It adds moisture, tang, and richness without making the dough heavy. The baking soda gives it a slight lift so the dough puffs when it hits the hot oil.

The filling is classic Prairie comfort: mashed potatoes mixed with cheddar cheese spread and bacon bits. Keep the mashed potatoes on the dry side. Wet filling steams inside the dough and can cause the puffs to burst open in the fryer.

Pinch off small pieces of dough and flatten them in your palm. The dough is sticky on purpose. That stickiness helps it seal around the filling so nothing leaks out.

Pro Tips

• Press the cottage cheese thoroughly. Any lumps will create weak spots in the dough.
• Keep the dough sticky. Adding too much flour makes it tough and heavy after frying.
• Seal the edges well by pinching firmly. Open seams leak filling and cause the oil to spatter.
• Fry in batches of 4 to 5 to keep the oil temperature steady. Overcrowding makes them greasy.

Variations

• Fill with sauerkraut and mashed potato for a more traditional Eastern European version.
• Use sharp cheddar or old cheddar instead of cheese spread for a more natural flavor.
• Serve with sour cream and caramelized onions on the side for the full perogy experience.