Potato knishes are eaten for almost every Jewish holiday and are also eaten on a daily basis in Jewish homes. Knish comes from the Ukranian word “knysh” and means “a kind of bun.” Knishes are dumplings made of flaky dough and filled with some kind of filling, usually potato. Knishes are usually baked or fried. As a common Jewish appetizer, many families like to serve their knishes on fancy serving dishes for finger food when hosting guests. 

For the Knish Dough: 

· 8 ounces softened cream cheese 
· 8 ounces softened unsalted butter 
· 1/2 cup sour cream 
· 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
· 1 teaspoon salt 

For the Potato Filling: 

· 6 potatoes (large), peeled, cut into chunks, boiled and shredded 
· 1lb onions, chopped and cooked 
· 2 whole eggs (large), beaten 
· 1/4 cup instant potato buds 
· 3/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid or vitamin C powder 
· 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
· 1 tablespoon hot sauce 
· 2 teaspoons salt 
· 8 ounces finely shredded Cheddar cheese (optional) 

For the Egg Wash: 

· 1 egg beaten (large) with 1 tablespoon water and (optional) 1 drop of yellow food coloring 

Preparation:

To prepare the knish dough, use a metal blade food processor and process butter, cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add flour and salt and pulse to blend. Then, turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Using floured hands, form into a ball and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. 

To prepare the potato filling, mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Flour a work surface and place the prepared knish dough on the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes. Then, roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Then, brush your prepared egg wash onto the squares. Place two cookie-size scoops of filling on each square. Then fold the ends in like an envelope. Place your finished knishes on a parchment-lined baking pan and brush with more of the egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes or until knishes are golden brown on the top and bottom. Serve warm as an appetizer. 

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