Whole spelt Russian pierogi

Hania wanted pierogi. Can I deny anything this little, sweet 12-year old creature. Yes, I can. But not often.

Recipe...OK - from my Mom but with her daughter's special touch
time: duration of "Sex and the City", the movie
makes about 60 pieces

ingredients
for the pasta

• 500 g (3 1/3) regular flour OR:
• 50 g (1/3 cup) regular flour and
• 350 g (3 cups) whole spelt flour
• 360 ml (1 1/2) cups boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• extra flour for rolling the dough

for the filling

• 525 g (19 oz) potatoes, whole, cooked in skin w/o salt, skin removed
• 473 g (17 oz) farmers white cheese (firmer and more sour than ricotta)
• 188 g (7 oz) onions, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/8 teaspoon salt

instructions

1. In a bowl of a standing mixer with needle attachment, sift in flours with salt. Mix it up, turn the mixer on low and slowly add boiling water till desired texture is achieved. Knead the dough for 5 more minutes and let it rest, covered with a cotton cloth.
2. Meanwhile...prepare the filling. In a medium skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and thyme and saute for about 10 minutes not allowing any browning of the onions. Let it cool a bit. Don't clean the skillet, you'll need it for later. Pass potatoes and cheese through a potato press and into a large bowl. Add onions, salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, mix it all up.
3. Divide the dough into 4-5 parts, roll one part thin, thinnest you can without breaking. The rest, cover with a cotton cloth. Cut out round shapes (8cm/3inch in diameter). Apply about 1 Tablespoon of the filling and close it in by pressing around the edge. Transfer uncooked pierogi onto a floured surface and cover them with a cotton cloth. 
4. Cook them in batches in boiling, lightly salted water for about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pierogi onto a preheated skillet (the one you used to saute onions) and brown for about 1 minute on each side, moving the skillet constantly (to prevent sticking). Ready! ...or wait for 5 minutes - they get a bit firmer.

notes

• very excited about these, fighting over till the last one!
• spelt flour gave the pierogi a nice, rustic bite;  but still very tender;
• I wasn't even planing on using this much spelt flour, but I ran out off the white grain;
• it was a little more challenging to make the dough thin, but only a tad;
• don't over-stuff pierogi with the filling, that's like asking for trouble;
• you can wet the edges before sealing, but that is not in my tradition;
• the last browning on a skillet is optional, but it gives them a nicer color and a little crust;
• thin and tender pierogi is a specialty of my Mom...and, can I add, mine too!