Sweet Piroshki with Apricots

Some of my earliest childhood memories is that of my mum and babushka baking fresh Sweet Piroshki with Apricots (Пирожки с абрикосами). Coming home after school to these fresh baked goodness with a glass of cold milk was perfect.

Some of my earliest childhood memories is that of my mum and babushka baking fresh Apricot Piroshki (Пирожки с абрикосами). Coming home after school to these fresh baked goodness with a glass of cold milk was perfect.

Are Piroshki only Savory?

There are many ways to make Piroshki, most popularly with meat or potatoes, but you can also make fruit piroshki all well. Blueberry Piroshki are my favorite. There are different styles to make fruit piroshki, not all are made completely enclosed in dough.

This recipe similar to a version of Apricot Kolaches, that are popular in Hungary, Czechia, Eastern Europe, and strangely in Texas. This isn't the Polish Kolacz, which is flakier and usually uses cream cheese in the dough, but these Apricot Piroshki uses a sweet yeast dough recipe.

Sweet Piroshki Filling

Dried apricots are used when making this piroshki filling, so you can make them all year round, even when it's not apricot season. It's almost like using an Apricot jam as a filling. You can make jam year round from dried fruit! The 2 photos below show the difference in color from store-bought dried apricots, compared to home dried. The color will be darker if using homemade dried apricots.

So why do we use home dried apricots for piroshki filling? I find that store bought dried apricots don't taste as good as homemade dried apricots. This is because store dried apricots are usually picked before they are fully ripe, and the flavor just isn't as flavorful as homemade dried apricots. You can add apricot jam to your apricot filling mixture to sweeten it, just make sure it's not too runny. It should have the consistency of a thick jam. You can also use dried plums to make Plum Piroshki filling.

How to make Sweet Yeast Dough

I use a bread maker to make the sweet yeast dough, as it's a timesaver, and I don't need to worry about kneading and raising the dough. Just drop in the ingredients and come back to ready made yeast dough. The sweet dough recipe basically the same one I use when making Russian Vatrushki, filled with Farmer's Cheese. However, check out my Sweet Yeast Dough made from scratch, a more traditional way. The video is below! Use whatever sweet dough method you prefer.

Making Sweet Piroshki

My mum would make large trays of sweet Pirozhki, taking up most of the day, and freeze extras for later. I don't usually have the time to dedicated a full day of baking, so this recipe makes about 30 Apricot Piroshki. I have made this recipe twice in one day. As soon as the first batch of sweet dough was ready, I put in a second batch in the bread maker. While it was mixing and rising, I baked the first batch Apricot Piroshki, finishing just in time to start the second batch.

You need to plan ahead when making this recipe. The rehydration of the dried apricots needs to be started the night before. After they re-hydrate, you need a stick blender to blend it into the consistency of jam.

This method of sweet Piroshki uses a criss-cross method (at least that's what I'm calling it). Traditionally Piroshki are fully enclosed, like my Blueberry Piroshki. For some reason, babushka always made these Apricot Piroshki this way. I think it looks a little more fancier than the usual method. When you roll out your dough circles, make 2 cuts on opposite sides of the pirozhok, place the apricot filling inside. Pull the edges of the slits, and cross over the filling, and through the opposite slit. This is my fancy criss-cross method. 😂

The Piroshki need to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes. A quick egg wash and they're ready to be placed in the oven. They take about 10-15 minutes to bake, until they are golden brown.

Sweet Piroshki served hot from the oven, with a glass of cold milk sounds perfect for me! They're sweet and delicious, sweet Piroshki are a tasty made from dried apricots (or prunes). Freshly baked goods are always the best! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

Sweet Piroshki with Apricots (Пирожки с абрикосами)

Sweet and delicious, Apricot Piroshki are a tasty yeast dough pastry made from dried apricots (or prunes). Delicious from the old country! (Пирожки с абрикосами)

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Course: Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine: Eastern European, Russian

Keyword: sweet piroshki

Servings: 30 piroshki

Author: Peter Kolesnichenko

Ingredients

Sweet Dough Ingredients for Bread Maker

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 2 medium eggs
• 8 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon sour cream room temp
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3⅓ cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Apricot Filling ingredients

• 250 g of dried apricots
• ¼ cup sugar
• water
• egg wash 2 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon whipping cream

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Instructions

• Prepare the apricots the night before to allow enough time for rehydration. Place dried apricots into a small saucepan and fill with enough water just to cover the apricots. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover with a lid and allow to cool overnight. In the morning, strain the water and mash the apricots together. I used a stick blender or food processor to mix the apricots. Add sugar to taste. Should have the consistency of a thick Apricot jam. You can add Apricot jam
  
• Place sweet dough ingredients in the order listed up into your bread machine and select the dough program. It will take around 90 minutes to complete the cycle. Alternatively, prepare dough the traditional way as per video.
• When the sweet dough is ready, place on a floured surface and gently knead. When the dough is ready, carefully place onto a very lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape. You want to cut into pieces that are approx. the size of a golf ball, or slightly bigger (or you can pinch off golf ball pieces from the dough). You should get 24-30 pieces from this recipe. Cover pieces you aren't working on with cling wrap so they don't dry out.
  
• Roll out the dough balls about ¼" thick into the shape of a circle, Careful not to use too much flour on the table.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of Apricot filling in the centre. Using a knife, cut slits on either side of the filling. Pull the edges of the slits, and cross over the filling, and through the opposite slit.
  
• Place the piroshki on a greased baking tray on baking paper. Place the apricot piroshki in a warm place and allow to rise until they double in size. Will take about 40 minutes.
  
• Carefully brush the piroshki with an egg wash. Place in a 350°F/180°C preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

To make and egg wash, I use 2 eggs and a teaspoon of whipping cream. Simply beat them together.

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