Recipe for cooking knishes

Jewish and Eastern European Recipes :: Jewish Matzos, Dumplings, and Breads

1/2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. canola (or other vegetable) oil
3 Tbsp. water
Pin. of salt

Put half the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in oil with a fork. Add water and salt and mix until the mixture forms a dough. Toss on a floured board; work in remaining flour, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and chill for 1 hour or longer. Roll the dough out on a board as thin as possible. Pull and stretch it into a long rectangle. Cut into 3-in. circles. Put a Tbsp. of filling, below, on each circle. Draw the edges of the circle together over filling and pin. together to seal. Brush with chicken fat. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 45 mins., until dough is well browned. Or, roll and stretch dough and spread with filling. Roll up and cut the roll into 1 1/2 in. slices. Lay slices cut-side down on a greased baking sheet and flatten lightly. Brush with fat and bake as above.

Potato Filling
Mash 5 freshly boiled potatoes and mix with 1/3 c. ground crisp cracklings made with chicken. To make goose cracklings (Grieben), cut the fat skin of a goose or chicken into 1- to 1 1/2-in. square or rectangles and fry when the remaining fat until well browned, then season with a generous amount of salt and pepper and place in the oven for a few mins.

Chicken Filling
Crumble 2 matzos and soak until soft in 1/4 c. chicken gravy or chicken soup. Combine with 1 c. finely chopped chicken. Season well with salt, pepper and cayenne and add enough chicken fat to make a soft mixture.

Mashed Potato Filling
2 1/2 (two and a half) c. mashed potatoes
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Melted butter
1 small onion, grated

Combine mashed potatoes, egg, salt and pepper. Fry onion in butter until soft but not brown and add to potato mixture.

Serve knishes with sour cream.