A lot has happened since I updated last. I was camping out in my coworker's living room for about a month and a half. While we did some cooking together (mostly the mock Alfredo and some stir fries and things), I haven't really added anything new to my repertoire.
Last Friday, I moved into a new and massive apartment by myself. I love it. I even love it's imperfections (uneven floors). Most of all, I love the kitchen. It's huge, there is a ton of counter space and storage, and the oven works! What more could I ask for.
I broke in my new kitchen by eating a take and bake pizza from the local grocery store. That thing fed me for two whole days. By the end of the weekend, I was ready to start cooking again. As luck would have it, the glory that is StumbleUpon and the brilliance that is my friend Carolyne sent me a recipe for Cheddar-Thyme Potato Knishes. I have already declared my love for mashed potatoes, and so putting them in a pastry seemed like an excellent idea to me. The recipe is from BrokeAss Gourmet :
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten, divided
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and dusting
- 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced with peel intact
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme (about 2 twigs)
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the over to 325F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil, set aside. Combine 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, baking powder, vegetable oil and flour in a mixing bowl. Stir together until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 times, until dough becomes slightly elastic. Cover dough and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.
While dough rests, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add diced potatoes and cook until very soft, 12-15 minutes. While potatoes cook, heat butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook for 5-6 minutes until onions are lightly browned and very fragrant. Remove from heat and scrape into a mixing bowl. Once potatoes have cooked, drain them and add them to the bowl with the onions and thyme. Add cheese and mash with a fork or potato masher until potatoes have very few lumps. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and set aside.
Once dough has finished resting turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead a few times and form dough into a cylinder, about 8” long. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a 4-5” circle. Scoop 3-4 tbsp of the potato mixture into the center of of each circle and pinch the ends together, so it looks like a little bundle.
Beat remaining egg together with 1 tbsp water. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops of the knishes with the egg wash.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until knishes are golden brown.
Serve hot, with sour cream if desired.
When I made this recipe, it called for two tsp. of vegetable oil for the dough. So my dough never got elastic. It was flavorful to be sure, but it was also heavy and awkward. Anyway, I commented on the recipe at BrokeAss Gourmet and they have since changed it to the proper proportion. Good job, folks.
The knish filling is marvelous. Cheddar-y, thyme-y mashed potatoes. Yum. I added about a tsp. of garlic powder and used Penzeys Shallot Pepper instead of freshly ground. I also added about a tsp. of Penzeys Bouquet Garni to the onions while they were cooking. More herbs, more better in my opinion.
Would I make these knishes again? Yes. Definitely with the update to the dough and maybe with a little cream cheese added to the potatoes. They are very comforting and kept pretty well. I had two for dinner the night I made them and two leftovers last night, plus leftover mash.
