Knishes My Grandmoms Greatest Appetizer Or Side Dish Recipes

KNISHES (((MY GRANDMOM'S GREATEST))) APPETIZER OR SIDE DISH

Steps:

• 3 weeks to 3 months prior to making knishes, sauté 2 large onions with 3 oz. chicken fat with skin in peanut oil until brown. Crumble up the skin into pieces.
• Add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda when onions are nearly done.
• Mix the sautéed onions with a few ounces of sauteed schmaltz (chicken fat with crumbled skin) thoroughly.
• Wrap or seal tightly and place into freezer.
• This is called "grieven" and is the secret to wonderful tasting knishes.
• Defrost the grieven prior to making the knishes.
• FOR THE FILLING: Place mashed potatoes into large mixing bowl.
• In a skillet heat the grieven mixture and add it into the mashed potatoes.
• Season to taste with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and sugar to taste.
• Do not season heavy with salt or garlic, and especially not with the sugar, as you do not want it to be sweet.
• FOR THE DOUGH: Place the flour into a mixing bowl.
• Mix a little less than 1/2 cup peanut oil and save remaining oil.
• Add 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and just enough water to make the dough.
• Roll out the dough as thin as possible, being careful not to create holes in the dough.
• Cut dough into 4 to 5 inch strips and then into 4 to 5 inch squares.
• ASSEMBLY: Fill each square with a heaping tablespoon or more of the potato mixture and then with wet fingers, fold in the corners & pinch and seal closed.
• Gently press to form patties, but do not squash too thin.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Lay out the knishes onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Brush top of each of the knishes with peanut oil.
• Keep checking, as often as you desire, to make sure they only become an almost golden color and not burnt.
• With a spatula, turn the knishes over, brush on peanut oil again, and continue baking until almost golden in color.
• You can refrigerate and reheat in either the oven or wrapped with paper towel and reheated in the microwave.
• You can also double or triple the recipe and place knishes into tightly closed Tupperware containers and freeze until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, remove from freezer, defrost and reheat as described.

SUPER EASY POTATO KNISHES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400F/204C.
• MAKE POTATO MIXTURE: To fry onions, heat oil on medium heat and sauté onions for 5-6 minutes just until slightly brown. Combine mashed potatoes and caramelized onions in a medium bowl with a fork. Season with salt and pepper - or 2 tablespoons of dry onion soup mix - to taste. You can omit the salt and pepper if you are using leftover mashed potatoes that are already seasoned.
• MAKE KNISHES: You will make two rolls of knishes from each sheet of puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface, unroll one sheet of puff pastry dough. It should be about 1/4 inch/0.63cm thick or less. Stretch out or roll dough a bit if necessary. Spread potato filling to resemble a log - about 2 inches/5cm thick - along one side of the rolled dough. Fold dough over the potato about 1 1/2 times in a jelly-roll fashion, making a log/roll. Cut away remaining dough with a sharp knife for the next roll. Tuck ends and pinch seams together well (to ensure filling doesn't seep out). Repeat with other half of dough on the same sheet of dough. Then do the same with the second sheet of dough. If you have extra dough and potato mixture left over, make a 5th roll.
• BAKE: Place rolls on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam side down. Brush egg wash on rolls which will create a glazed golden look (optional). Bake for 25-30 minutes to a golden brown flaky pastry. If any potato mixture seeps out, tuck it back into the knish roll with a knife.
• TO SERVE: Cut rolls of finished knishes into 2 inch/5 cm pieces on the diagonal and serve. To make ahead (recommended!) see Note 2.