Homemade Pierogies with Bacon Jam

For the dough: 1. In a stand mixer with a hook attachment, mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg and combine. The dough will be quite clumpy at this stage. 2. Incorporate in the sour cream and soft butter. The dough will become a rough, sticky ball. 3. Knead the dough until it becomes less sticky. It will remain, however, quite moist. 4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate covered for a minimum of an hour. Ideally, 1-2 nights. For the filling: 1. Peel, cube, and boil three large potatoes in a saucepan. Mash well or pass through a ricer until smooth. Add milk or cream to thin as needed. Add seasonings and adjust to taste. Stir in grated cheese until thoroughly melted and filling has cooled. Set aside and reserve. Assembly: 1. Roll half the dough thick and using a 2” round cutter, cut circles of dough. Repeat with other half of dough and scraps until all the dough has been used. 2. Place 2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Moisten the edges and gently fold the dough over to form a half-mooned pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, then crimp again with the tines of a fork. 3. Pierogi can be frozen at this stage or refrigerated overnight until needed. If cooking straightaway, the pierogi will need to be boiled in batches so as not to stick. We recommend no more than a dozen at a time. Boil in generously salted water until they just begin to float. Frozen pierogi will take more time to float. 4. Working, again, in batches, add the drained pierogi to a large skillet and sauté them in butter until crisp and brown. Serve hot with bacon jam, sour cream, applesauce, pickles, etc. For the Bacon Jam: 1. In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, crisp bacon. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to cool. 2. Using residual bacon grease over reduced heat, add onions to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until sweet and caramelized, about 15-30 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 3. Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, coffee, and reserved bacon. Simmer over low heat until mixture is thick and jammy, about 10 minutes. Add salt and lots of extra black pepper to taste.